The gals at Snapology are taking that fact and turning it into a curriculum that fosters genuine enthusiasm for the hard sciences. Through teamwork, problem-solving skills and LEGO® blocks.

This is the beauty of Snapology – when kids are presented with lessons that aren’t boring as hell, they engage. It’s like magic or something.

“Our goal is to create an environment where kids are having fun and they don’t realize they’re learning while they’re doing it,” Lisa Coe said.

Her sister and co-creator, Laura Barrows, takes it one step further and instructs teachers not to even mention the word “educational” to their students. They just don’t need to know.

So how does it work? Laura and Lisa design entire lesson plans around LEGO® construction kits, the complexity of which rise with the age of the kids. (Some of their kits involve moving parts, electronics and motion sensors. Solar panels and windmills to be introduced this fall.) To build the kits, kids follow instructions on specialized laptops. Variations like sound effects and other retrofitting options encourage creativity, while working with partners allows for problem solving and conflict resolution.

And when they’re done, the kids have built a LEGO® soccer goalie that can block shots on net. We’re adults and we’re impressed with that. 

In other words, Snapology is a portable powerhouse of education. They accommodate camps, clubs, home school classes, in-school field trips, birthday parties, play dates and girl/boy scout troops.

You might say, they’re just piggybacking off LEGO® products. Au contraire. The brilliance of Snapology is in the design, the lesson plans, the total restructuring of education. Laura and Lisa are honing this method over the next year with the cooperation of teachers and students. Then, franchising and expansion.

And Hollywood. Or, more likely, YouTube.

Their SnapAnimation class allows kids to make their own 2-minute films, frame by frame. Better throw narrative, filmmaking and Internet skills on the already long list.

Just, for heaven’s sake, don’t tell the little rascals. It’d be a shame to ruin such a beautiful thing. 

Not so with CustomShow.

CustomShow, by Sales Graphics, is the next evolution of sales presentation technology. Literally. CustomShow is faster, stronger, smarter and, to be honest, a whole lot prettier than the market leader, Microsoft PowerPoint.

And in the jungle of sales presentations, sexier is better.

Watching a CustomShow presentation is like viewing informational fireworks. Video, graphics, text and effects synthesize to create an integrated presentation that is decidedly more MTV than Microsoft. Actually, MTV uses CustomShow.

As a Challenger Brand, Sales Graphics – “The Presentation Agency” – is up against the Goliath of Goliaths, but it has managed to carve out an amazing share of forward-thinking corporate America.

As Mike Lingle, SVP of Sales and Strategy, put it, “If you look at our client list, you’ll see a bunch of big companies who seem to feel that PowerPoint is not giving them everything they need.”

So, like hungry (hungry) hippos, CustomShow just keeps gobbling them up: DIRECTV, CNN, Bravo, The New Yorker, A&E, ELLE, The Wall Street Journal and Dior. And that’s just the short list.

• Sales Graphics has been in the presentations business for over 50 years, since the days when they made high-end, hand-lettered presentations and sales boards.
• Sales Graphics is a third generation family business offering its sixth version of CustomShow.

Beyond being dazzling, CustomShow sports a number of boons. On the one hand, it allows control over the information being presented in a way that ensures that the company’s brand guidelines are consistent. But on the other, it allows quick and easy customization of presentations to permit flexibility.

More than anything, CustomShow is a presentation program for a world with a short attention span and high visual expectations.

MindApps is a product that challenges both other apps and psychiatry, delivering a professionally-validated approach to some common psychological problems. It enables people to take an active role in their own healthcare, either by providing a therapeutic intervention or by supplementing the services of a therapist.

The applications that have been created are based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which theorizes that “the things that we think influence our moods and our behaviors…this painful web of thoughts, feelings and behaviors is what CBT seeks to help untangle.”

MindApps, based in Pittsburgh, PA, was launched in 2009 in more than 30 countries. The company currently offers three products:

•  eCBT Mood is designed for people who are feeling down or depressed. Through questions and useful information, the tool helps users identify and challenge the distorted thinking that leads to depression, breaking the cycle of negative thoughts. Features include a “feelings and thoughts log,” a mechanism to identify and challenge negative thoughts and a daily/weekly mood assessment and report. 
• eCBT Calm targets the many overstressed members of society, focusing on learning new coping and relaxation skills. This app includes a stress assessment, training in several effective relaxation tools and links to online content focusing on stress reduction, support groups and finding a therapist if needed.
• eCBT Trauma is geared toward those living with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. It provides users with a trauma symptom assessment tool, relaxation training, means to identify and challenge negative beliefs and exercises to help neutralize the impact of traumatic memories. It also links users to online content and resources.

New products in development address dieting, anxiety, pain, binge eating and alcohol problems. Although it’s difficult to place a price tag on well-being, the company boasts that the products cost less than a large premium coffee. MindApps is hoping to provide a grande boost to the mental health of its users.

Ten Thousand Villages invites us to “discover a world of difference by shopping an extensive selection of authentic handmade pieces that not only look good, but do good.” With the belief that each village in the world has its unique strengths, multiplying by 10,000 brings a dazzling array of handicrafts, along with the opportunity to work toward economic stability. 

• The company was founded more than 60 years ago by a businesswoman who witnessed extreme poverty in Puerto Rico and was inspired to find market-based solutions
• Selling handcrafted products out of her car, the founder discovered a way to support artisans and educate Americans about their lives
• Sales now exceed $20 million annually

From its humble beginnings, Ten Thousand Villages has developed an extensive distribution network with more than 150 stores across the US and Canada. Its Pittsburgh location is staffed by 60 volunteers and features products from nearly 40 developing countries across the world. In addition to the stores, festival sales take place in communities across North America, with nearly 300 events annually, each lasting several days. Merchandise is shipped to sponsoring organizations, who are entitled to up to 10% of the proceeds. 

The online store offers a wide variety of goods: jewelry, home décor, toys and games, stationery and musical instruments are among the listed goods. Budget-conscious shoppers can view selections by price, and those with upcoming special events can take advantage of the gift registry.

Ten Thousand Villages is a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization, which includes more than 350 fair trade organizations in 70 countries. It works with its artisan partners to set a fair price that takes into account the costs of production and the need to earn a living wage. Any surplus earned is used to continue the growth of the network of stores and to fund additional purchases from artisans.

By providing high-quality goods to consumers and a living wage to artisans worldwide, Ten Thousand Villages has created a win-win situation, championing its cause to build economic stability in villages across the world.

Edward Marc can trace its roots back to 1914, when a young Greek couple landed in Pittsburgh, bringing with them their skill of making handcrafted chocolates. In an era when family-owned companies are increasingly rare, this one has persevered for 95 years. With the founders’ great-grandchildren now at the helm, the original family recipe for chocolate continues to be the company’s recipe for success. 

The company is committed to using the finest ingredients: cocoa from West Africa and Indonesia, vanilla beans and spices from the South Pacific, citrus fruits from the Mediterranean and Middle East, coconuts from the Caribbean and cream from good old American farms. These ingredients are used in a wide variety of chocolate products:

• Prices range from a three-piece box of gourmet assorted chocolates for $5 to the $150 Diamond Tower, which features four boxes of the most popular products, totaling nine pounds of sweetness
• There’s also an option of sending a box of chocolates monthly for six or 12 months for up to $450

An online chocolate guide avoids Forrest Gump’s pronouncement that you “never know what you’re gonna get.” By pointing at pieces in a virtual box of chocolates, visitors to the website get a mouth-watering description of available varieties.

For those who like their indulgences in liquid or frozen form, the company’s store, The Milk Shake Factory, is also located in Pittsburgh’s South Side. Back in 1914, when refrigeration was a rarity, shakes and ice cream were luxury items. Today, the milkshakes continue to be hand-made in old-fashioned machines; 55 flavors as well as sundaes are offered.

Along with its palate-pleasing products, Edward Marc offers “One Sweet Gesture,” a program that is designed to “transform social and corporate responsibility in America.” The company donates 20% of any purchase in the catalog to one of three charities chosen by the customer: Make a Wish Foundation, The Children’s Institute or the Wounded Warrior Project.

With attention to quality ingredients, old-fashioned values and a charitable focus, Edward Marc Chocolatier is hoping its customers are impressed by its finest attribute: it is one sweet company.

The Aviary’s evolution included several twists and turns. Originally a plant conservatory in the late 19^th century, the building was destroyed by a natural gas explosion in the 1920s. Rebuilt 30 years later, birds were added to the 25,000 square feet of indoor gardens and the facility became a pioneer in providing free-flight bird habitats.

As the years went by, the Aviary’s mission continued to evolve, moving from simply displaying birds to tackling wildlife conservation. Endangered birds have found a champion in the Aviary, with breeding programs devoted to their future. However, the Aviary itself became endangered in the 1990s. Privatization came to its rescue, followed by its designation as the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

• Located on Pittsburgh’s North Side, admission to the Aviary is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $8.50 for kids over age two and free for younger children
• Memberships provide free admission all year
• An online e-store and gift certificates supplement the onsite gift shop to satisfy bird fans and line the organization’s nest with green

Still flying high, the Aviary continues to expand its flight path with a $26 million, multi-year expansion project which broke ground on Earth Day 2009. When completed, the facility will feature a new theater for bird shows and an open-air rooftop theater for bird-of-prey performances.

Proving that members of the local hockey team are not the only famous penguins in town, Penguin Point joined the family of Aviary attractions, the first of the new areas to open. At 2,300 square feet, it features the Kids’ ViewTube, where kids can get an up-close and personal view of the action.

Aviary visitors can stay all day, with a schedule of interactive and instructive activities. Visitors can feed nectar to the Lories (lorikeets) and fish to the pelicans, flamingos and their friends. Little Peepers Story Time and summer Flight Camp are designed for the youngest inhabitants of the nest. Visitors can watch the Flite Zone (free-flight) bird shows or sit in on a practice session where birds buff up their feathers and show off their antics. The veterinary staff brings a patient to the atrium daily at noon, and visitors can stop by the kitchen to learn about meal preparation for over 800 birds.

The National Aviary is such a special place that it has become a popular destination for events. Weddings, banquets and galas take place in the Rose Garden Tent, Atrium or Rainforest, adding another feather to the cap of this birdhouse, which has been lovingly built as a perch for birds and people alike.

This museum of contemporary art shies away from the display of individual noteworthy pieces, instead featuring room-sized exhibits called installations. Created onsite, the art is designed to capture all the senses and to allow artists to fit their artistry to the space. Eight to twelve new works are featured annually, with exhibitions typically lasting four to six months. The remainder of the facility features permanent, long-term exhibits.

Even the lobby communicates the different emphasis of the facility; the Brightkite Wall is a big-screen TV that allows visitors to post messages and museum staff to chime in with their views and information. Throughout the museum, lighting, holes in the floor, sounds and total darkness combine to create a unique experience, passing through a variety of worlds on an artistic journey.

• The Mattress Factory was founded in 1977 by Barbara Luderowski, a visionary who aggressively formed the organization’s mission and agenda
• Two buildings in the Mexican War Streets on Pittsburgh’s North Side house the organization, which include exhibition galleries, an artist-created garden, public and educational spaces and offices. One building, the former Stearns & Foster mattress factory, inspired the name.
• More than 38,000 visitors are logged annually, with 61% from the Pittsburgh region; the Education Department serves 16,000
• Adults are admitted for $10, seniors for $8 and students for $7; memberships are available

When this organization boasts that its residency program has supported over 300 artists, it isn’t kidding. Residents live at the museum, and create new installation art as part of their tenure. Support staff is provided, including carpenters, plasterers and metalworkers; past residents have called for diverse substances that include paraffin wax, human hair, barbed wire and insect larvae. Workshops, lectures and tours accompany the unique expressions.

Along with the art, the Mattress Factory offers other amenities, including a shop and café, to enhance the experience. The facility can be rented for meetings and special events, with caterers welcome. While the building no longer manufactures sleeping surfaces, the staff works hard to ensure that the experience is not a snoozer for its many and diverse visitors. 

EDMC is “among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America.” This company has become something of an educational conglomerate; four distinct schools fall under the EDMC umbrella, each with unique programs and locations. Each school is licensed by the state in which it is located, with doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s, associate and certificate-level programs offered across the system.

• EDMC’s schools boast 89 locations in 28 US states and Canada
• Founded in 1962, EDMC’s first acquisition was the Art Institute of Pittsburgh; bachelor’s degree programs were added there in 1988
• The company’s initial public offering was in 1996
• More than 16,000 full and part-time faculty members provide instruction at the schools
• January 2009 enrollment reached 114,000 students, an increase of 17.3% from the previous year
• Net revenues rose a similar amount, totaling $522 million in 2008

With a strong online education presence responsible for significant growth in the Pittsburgh office, EDMC is working to fill a niche for career-oriented students. Its many physical locations and various schools allow for economies of scale and an integrated marketing approach. This is a company that is positioning itself to be a North American resource, helping students manage their own education and achieve success.

With fares starting at just $1 plus a 50-cent booking fee, Megabus has clearly positioned itself to compete on price. Lowest fares are offered to passengers who book early or whose destinations are less popular. According to the Megabus president, “our highest fare is lower than other modes of travel, including car,” and the companyís stated goal is “getting people out of their auto and into the bus.”

Megabus is cutting costs by slashing overhead expenses. “Tickets” are purchased in advance, either online or by telephone, and not available on the bus, eliminating office and personnel costs. There is no physical ticket; passengers are only provided with a reservation number to give to the driver. Megabus has no bus stations, stopping at designated city locations near public transportation for passenger pickup and delivery. Initially vehicles lacked restrooms and luggage space; however buses have been upgraded for rider comfort and to cut the need for stops en route.

• Megabus was established by the Stagecoach Group in Scotland in 2003, then branched out to other UK locations and began operations in the US in April 2006.
• In England, Megatrain was added in 2005, serving London and several other UK locations.
• US operations are based in Chicago; other cities served include Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, Ann Arbor, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Louisville, Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City and Minneapolis.

A Megabus rider who is fortunate enough to snag a $1 seat can experience round-trip transportation for $2.50, including the booking fee. Even the mathematically challenged can determine that price is lower than the current cost of one gallon of gas, with none of the hassles of driving the interstate.

Initial Pittsburgh destinations are limited to Chicago, Toledo and Cleveland, with the Megabus stop located in front of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. And yes, a recent trip to the site did locate some $1 and $8 fares to and from these cities. With prices at the pump again on the rise, Megabus is betting that its track of no-frills service on the cheap will give Greyhound a run for its money.