Pittsburgh TechFest 2026

Most developers who want off the ladder think about founding a startup. There's another door: buying one. After 13 years in software I bought a fabrication shop outside Pittsburgh. This talk covers how I built a buy box and screened deals, why I chose the trades, and the ownership lessons that generalize to any acquisition — hiring, cash flow, key-person risk, and process. Plus what a developer background is actually worth as an owner, and where it got in my way.

Every few months we're told another breakthrough will transform the workplace. New models arrive. We develop new "best practices." Today's "must-have" tool may already have a newer competitor before implementation is complete. So how do we get off the hamster wheel and build organizations with staying power?
The organizations that thrive won't be the ones chasing every new platform. They'll be the ones that understand what makes them uniquely competitive, know what their people do best, and build a workforce capable of adapting to whatever comes next.
Drawing on real-world experience leading AI adoption and workplace transformation initiatives, this session explores why successful technology implementation is fundamentally a people strategy. Instead of focusing on the next tool, we'll explore the questions leaders should be asking:

• Why do smart employees resist technology they know is useful?
• Why do promising AI initiatives stall?
• What actually builds trust during times of change?
• How do you prepare your workforce for technology that doesn't exist yet?

Participants will leave with practical strategies and a people-first roadmap for building adaptable organizations through trust, employee engagement, thoughtful governance, and continuous learning. Because future-proofing isn't about keeping up with technology. It's about building organizations that know how to adapt when technology changes.

Careers in technology do not always follow a straight path. In this session, Mackenzie Albitz shares how a computer science background and early career in technical engineering led to an unexpected move into product marketing. Her journey highlights how technical skills can remain valuable even when your job title, responsibilities, or career direction change.


Along the way, Mackenzie will share lessons that helped shape her career, including the importance of listening carefully, asking the same question from different perspectives, and staying resourceful when solving unfamiliar problems. She will also discuss how her engineering background now supports her work in technical storytelling, helping communicate complex technologies to developer-focused audiences.