From Texas to Turner to Western Pennsylvania's First "ACE" (And Beyond): The American Business Life of Jim Roddey

On this edition of Your American Story Radio, Raja welcomes one of Western Pennsylvania's preeminent figures in business, politics, and leadership, Jim Roddey, onto the show to discuss his remarkable career.

And what a career it has been. From earning his degree in speech from Texas Christian University to proudly serving our country as a Captain in the United States Marine Corps to his role on the board of Turner Communications (That voice in Ted Turner's ear that said that a 24-hour all-news cable channel was a bad idea? That was Jim.) to becoming the inaugural sole Allegheny County Executive, displacing the multi-headed system in place before his term, he has seen it all.

(And that DOESN'T include the fact that yeah, he's also a top-flight entrepreneur, having an instrumental role in the startup and growth of dozens of companies throughout his 50-plus year career in business and leadership.)

Throw in the lightning-quick wit that also makes him one of the most sought-after dinner speakers in the region and we have one heck of a discussion in store. You will not want to miss a minute of what Raja and Jim have to say about business, leadership, and the political scene in Western Pennsylvania, and the country.

-Plus, Raja profiles TiE Pittsburgh, one of the region's premier advocacy organizations for fostering entrepreneurship in Western Pennsylvania and, through TiE's parent organization, throughout the world.

If you're familiar with Raja's own American story, you'll know that he was a longtime President of TiE's Pittsburgh chapter at one point in his career. Today, Raja talks with the organization's current president, Ganesh Mani, who also happens to be one of the region's premier entrepreneurs in the IT industry.

In addition to profiling Ganesh's distinguished career, they discuss the mission of TiE Pittsburgh, as well as the organization's upcoming events, including a great event on Tuesday, September 30, as part of TiE Pittsburgh's "How-To" Series: How to Galvanize Capital in the Steel City.