Observations from Central PA Innovate! and KINBERCON.

As a company 100% owned by Pennsylvanians and 100% staffed by Pennsylvanians, Direct LTx couldn’t be more invested in the success of the Commonwealth’s technology industry.   And data center infrastructure is the keystone (see what we did there?) of the IT sector.  

Yesterday Direct LTx was one of the sponsors as well as an exhibitor at CentralPA Innovate!, an event put on by the invaluable Technology Council of Central PA highlighting the tech-forward leadership of our local business community.  It was a terrific event, and not the only one we’ve enjoyed recently. 

A few weeks ago we were an exhibiting sponsor at KINBERCON, which is focused more on the non-profit sector.   KINBERCON focuses on enhancing collaboration and creativity in delivering technology solutions to agencies and companies supporting deserving communities in our state.    

We left these two events with three main observations: 

1. As busy as all tech professionals are, it is worth making time for these kind of events, not only to network but to stay on top of news and developments in the tech community.    We’re in a time of rapid change, both in society and technology, and both KINBERCON and CentralPA Innovate! offered valuable opportunities for networking and learning for those in the Pennsylvania technology ecosystem.  If your professional world touches on technology, commit to attending events and conferences both in our area and in your sector.

2. There’s a lot of talent in our region.   While there were too many valuable presentations yesterday to attend them all, one we had a chance to catch was Brad Milbrand of Milbrand Consulting highlighting changes in the workforce since COVID.   As we’re well aware of here at Direct LTx, the pivot toward remote work has increased IT infrastructure demand.  As Brad pointed out, it has transformed the workforce as well.  Pennsylvania tech companies have a broader pool of talent to choose from but when people are not physically together steps must be taken to foster team dynamics, especially for younger workers.  

3. People don’t think of Eastern Pennsylvania as a tech hub, and will never be Silicon Valley, but we’ve got a vibrant ecosystem not just in the Philadelphia suburbs but in places like Lancaster, Allentown, and our hometown of Reading.  We have an impressive array of startups, maturing SMBs, and enterprises providing innovative solutions for both the private and public sectors in the Keystone State.  

Thank you to both KINBER and the Technology Council of Central PA for providing these valuable platforms for learning and collaboration, as well as for showing us that the state of our Commonwealth’s tech sector is strong.  

Kudos to all those getting up every morning looking to move technology forward in our state.  At Direct LTx we commit to continuing to do the same.