Pittsburgh weekly roundup: Top tech meetups; PIT Airport security lines; CMU launches CyLab Venture Network

10 tech meetups in Pittsburgh

Are you an entrepreneur who’s into running? A self-proclaimed nerd with a niche interest you want to tell the city about? Or maybe just looking for some fun networking opportunities with people in your field?

From coding over coffee to woman-focused mentorship to a breakfast for biomed boffins, the Pittsburgh tech scene has a meetup group or event for whatever you’re looking for.

➡️ Check out the full list in Briana’s story

A blueprint for tracking downtown revitalization

Pittsburghers interested in how downtown is faring have something pretty unique — a one-stop resource that tracks progress. Called IndexPGH, the online dashboard is an outlier because it does something challenging: brings dozens of data sources from a variety of local agencies and departments under one roof.

“We call it the ‘Pittsburgh way,’” said Josie Schultz of the Allegheny Conference, “which means getting everyone — public, private, and nonprofit sectors — rowing in the same direction.”

➡️ Check out how the dashboard came together and what it tells you

News Incubator: What else to know

• There’s a new program for cybersecurity startups: CMU is launching the CyLab Venture Network. So far two VC firms have signed on, and there’s an initial cohort of 20 companies across a variety of sectors and stages. [CyLab]

• If you’re planning on flying out of PIT during the morning this summer, maybe get TSA PreCheck. Increased travel spurred recommendations to arrive 2-3 hours in advance of your flight, but to mitigate some of the delay, the airport is dedicating the alternate security checkpoint just for people with Pre. [WESA/TSA]

• Pittsburgh Tech graduated its final class ever. The two-year college is shutting down this year, ending 78 years of postsecondary technical education. [WPXI/Inside Higher Ed]

• A new entrance is being designed for AI Avenue, aka the 1-mile East End stretch that’s Walnut Capital is developing as a a locus of artificial intelligence companies. It’s already home to Google, UPMC Enterprises, Sheetz Innovation and more, with Lovelace AI, Pearl Street and others now joining the party. [TribLive/YouTube]

• In collaboration with Tampere University in Finland, Pitt researchers have created miniature robots that mimic a Maple tree’s iconic “helicopter seeds,” which use wind to disperse. [Pitt]

🗓️ On the Calendar