Penn State New Kensington:

Glen Meakem to Give Insights on Global Economy

10/7/2009 —

RADIO TALK SHOW HOST ON CAMPUS
6:00 p.m., Tuesday, October 20, Forum Theatre
Tickets: General Public-$10;
Students: Free with College or High School ID

Radio talk show host/venture capitalist Glen Meakem brings his insights on the global economy to Penn State New Kensington at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20 in the Forum Theatre at Penn State New Kensington.

Meakem, host of the “Glen Meakem Program” that is broadcast on FM News Talk 104.7 on weekends, is the guest speaker for "Insight Forum," the campus' inaugural lecture and discussion program that is geared to the local community. A reception follows the talk.

Meakem earned a national reputation as a new economy innovator and leader – first as co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of FreeMarkets, Inc., and more recently as co-founder and managing director of Meakem Becker Venture Capital. FreeMarkets was a leading business-to-business Internet company which helped Global 2000 companies save money by automating and improving their purchasing functions.

After founding the company in 1995, he took it public in 1999 and sold it to Ariba, Inc. in 2004. Meakem Becker Venture Capital is a leading early-stage venture capital firm which was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in the Pittsburgh area. The firm focuses on building new, technology-enabled product and service companies.

One of the keys to Meakem’s success as an entrepreneur has been his adherence to a strict code of personal and professional ethics and an ability to build strong teams of like minded individuals. He gained early business experience working in professional positions for Kraft Foods, McKinsey & Company, and General Electric.

Early in his career, Meakem served as an officer in the Army Reserve, volunteering and serving as a combat engineer platoon leader in the 1991 Gulf War. Glen graduated from Harvard University in 1986 and later earned his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

He launched the "Glen Meakem Program" in 2008 to provide a forum for discussion about making Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania healthy growing places. He and his wife Diane have been married for twenty years and have five children.

Tickets for the talk are $10. Students with college or high school identification are admitted for free. The series is open to the public. General admission seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For tickets, call 724-334-6056 or contact clc36@psu.edu.

Insight Forum is a series that consists of four one-hour talks in September and October in the fall and in March and April in the spring. Local, regional, and nationally-known guests will talk about various aspects of American life and take questions from the audience. A reception to meet the speaker will follow each program.

The Glen Meakem Radio Program
Saturday: 7:00-8:00 a.m.;
Sunday: 8:00-9:00 a.m.
FM-News Talk 104.7
The program is about success, and it offers information and insights on how the city, state and nation can be more successful. Glen speaks from his experiences as a successful entrepreneur, business leader, and veteran of the First Gulf War, as well as a husband and father. Glen also offers perspective on how individuals can be more successful in their careers and entrepreneurial ventures.

Newspaper Column
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
In addition to the radio program, Glen writes a bi-weekly newspaper column that appears in the opinion section of the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. Glen uses his column to comment on local and national political policies, current news events, and lessons we can learn from U.S. history.
For more about Glen, visit glenmeakem.com

IN APPRECIATION
A special thanks to Swank Associated Companies Inc., The Hyman Family Foundation, Dr. Robert and Linda Mueller, Dr. Javier and Maria Gomez, Dr. Michael and Donna McGinnis, Professor Gary and Amy Heberling, and Dr. Arlene Hall, for their support in establishing Insight Forum.

Insight Forum Committee
Mardelle Kopnicky (co-chair), Alumna
Patrick Kopnicky (co-chair), Alumnus
Lois Rubin, Associate Professor of English
Donna Speer, Director of Development
Bill Woodard, Alumni and Public Relations Specialist

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