Invest: Pittsburgh leadership conference to spotlight workforce, innovation and next-gen leaders

Key points:

• The Invest: Pittsburgh Leadership Summit will convene cross-sector leaders to examine workforce innovation, leadership pipelines, and regional competitiveness.

• Panels will focus on aligning education, employers, and institutions to close skills gaps and prepare next-generation leaders.

• The summit underscores Pittsburgh’s collaborative approach to sustaining long-term economic growth and talent development.

January 2026 — As Greater Pittsburgh’s economy expands and diversified, senior business, civic and institutional leaders will convene for the Invest: Pittsburgh Leadership Summit on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Rivers Club.

The summit marks the official release of Invest: Pittsburgh 3rd Edition, caa’s in-depth economic review of the region, and will bring together leaders from education, healthcare, professional services, energy, construction and finance to examine how talent development, leadership pipelines, and cross-sector collaboration are shaping Pittsburgh’s long-term competitiveness.

Join us at the Invest: Pittsburgh 3rd Edition Leadership Summit! This premier event brings together hundreds of Pittsburgh’s business and regional leaders to discuss the challenges and opportunities for businesses and investors. Buy your ticket now!

“We’re excited to bring key decision makers together through this leadership summit,” said Abby Lindenberg, founder and CEO of caa. “Pittsburgh’s strength has always been its ability to adapt. This event highlights the leaders and institutions working together to prepare the workforce, develop future leaders and sustain economic momentum.”

Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by opening remarks and three panel discussions focused on workforce innovation, leadership development, and the evolving pathways from education to employment.

Innovation at work

The opening panel, “Innovation at Work: Which sectors are reshaping the skills landscape, and how are employers and educators collaborating to close skills gaps?”, will explore how emerging industry needs are influencing curriculum design, training models and employer partnerships across the region.

The panel will be presented by CarepathRx and Chartwell Pharmacy, and moderated by Martin Kimmel, president of Kimmel Architecture.

Panelists include Guy Amatangelo, president of Mariani & Richards Inc; Christina Clark, president of La Roche University; Prasad Vemala, dean of the Haverlack College of Business at Slippery Rock University; and Sally Schufreider, market leader and general manager at Cigna Healthcare.

Building the next generation of leaders

The second panel, “Next-Gen Leaders: How will the ‘leaders of the future’ differ from today’s leaders, and what can employers do now to train the next-gen pipeline?”, will focus on leadership readiness, succession planning and the skills employers must cultivate to remain competitive.

The discussion will be presented by Regis Etzel, president of Etzel Engineer and Build Inc, and moderated by Karen Wolk Feinstein, president and CEO of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation.

Panelists include Bethany Bryant, regional director at Glenmede; Joseph Thompson, senior vice president and branch manager at Baird; Ken Scaggs, market president at Aon; and Stephen Girard, vice president of C&I sales for the East Region at NRG.

From campus to company

The final panel, “From Campus to Company: What new paradigms are emerging on the path from student to employee, and how are educators and companies adapting and collaborating?”, will examine how colleges, universities and employers are redesigning pathways from education to employment.

The panel will be presented by Sean Kertes, commissioner of Westmoreland County.

Panelists include Elizabeth MacLeod Walls, president of Washington & Jefferson College; Mary Finger, president of Seton Hill University; Roger Davis, president of Community College of Beaver County; and Adam Smith, partner at Forvis Mazars.

The discussions will provide actionable insight into how Greater Pittsburgh’s leaders are aligning education, workforce strategy and leadership development to support long-term growth and regional competitiveness. Hundreds of senior executives, public officials and institutional leaders from across Southwestern Pennsylvania are expected to attend the in-person summit. Register today.

About caa & Invest: Pittsburgh

caa is an integrated media platform that produces in-depth business intelligence through its annual print and digital economic reviews, high-impact conferences and events, and executive interviews via its video platform, Invest:Insights.

Invest: Pittsburgh is a comprehensive economic review examining the key issues shaping the regional economy. Featuring exclusive insights from prominent business, civic and institutional leaders, the publication is designed to provide actionable investment intelligence while promoting Greater Pittsburgh as a premier place to do business.

For more information, contact:

Danielle Karlinsky

Executive Director

(305) 340-2730

Want more? Read the Invest: Pittsburgh report.