Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association (PVCA), the leading voice of private equity investors within the region, today announced that Ben Wilson, Founder and CEO of Rivers Agile, will be appointed to its Board of Directors effective September 1st, 2019. His appointment is the newest addition to the Board of Directors which boasts 20 members.
“We are pleased to welcome Ben Wilson to the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association’s Board of Directors. His appointment is an important addition as we especially value his extensive knowledge of the Pittsburgh tech sector and his strong entrepreneurial expertise. He’ll be an invaluable asset to the Board and our stakeholders and I look forward to working with him throughout his term with the PVCA.” said Kelly Szejko, President of the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association.
“I am honored to serve on the Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association Board of Directors,” remarked Ben Wilson. “I greatly appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the organization’s mission of catalyzing venture investment and entrepreneurialism in Western Pennsylvania. I look forward to representing the stakeholders and working with other members of the Board to execute their strategic initiatives,” said Wilson.
Background on Ben Wilson
After more than a decade of helping organizations strengthen their SDLC through QA, Ben Wilson founded Rivers Agile in 2008. The mission was simple – to build an innovative, elite QA consultancy that helps organizations mature their QA approach to a proactive keystone in their application life cycle . Presently, a significant portion of the company’s portfolio is repeat business as clients trust Ben’s expertise for their technology endeavors. He’s grown his company into a recognizable force in Pittsburgh – providing a full range of solutions from product design, to QA testing and training, to software development. Ben’s still as passionate as day one and feels lucky to work alongside a talented team of developers, testers, strategists, and innovators.
Ben is not only the CEO of Rivers Agile, he’s the founder. An important distinction to remember as the company’s success is directly attributed to his triumphs as an entrepreneur. He built an “engineering first” culture and developed a business model focused on problem-solving. After more than ten years, Ben still exhibits the same passion and talent as day one in crafting meaningful software solutions for Pittsburgh’s tech community. With the PVCA, Ben takes pride in mentoring and coaching aspiring creators because when he started his own business he valued the meaningful and relevant advice from colleagues. Support in any form can lead you down the path to success – or at least avoid some pitfalls. That’s the experience he hopes to share with others.
Sometimes we lose sight of that enterprising spirit since the role of CEO gets watered down with the humdrum of running a company, but Ben is always thrilled to network with some inspired innovators because he understands the challenging process of commercializing research discoveries into impactful, valuable products. This is a point of pride for Ben as someone who was raised in Pittsburgh and remains an active member of the tech community. He had a great opportunity to grow and lead early in his career at Print Cafe (now EFI) and worked with some very bright engineers who are now in positions driving innovation throughout the region. Ben is dedicated to providing opportunities for engineers as well as high-quality development services to Pittsburgh organizations because he knows the work Rivers Agile is doing contributes, in some small way, to the rapidly growing local tech community.
Ben’s determination at all costs – determined to see his business grow and succeed, determined to help those in his charge realize their potential – is his mark as a leader. This empowerment is the most underrated quality of his approach. He holds himself to the same standard he holds others – thrive in the responsibilities of your role, develop as a professional and a person, and find purpose in creatively solving difficult problems.
Browse the entire Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association’s Board of Directors at ThePVCA.org/Leadership. For more information about Ben Wilson, visit his LinkedIn profile at LinkedIn.com/in/WilsonBen.
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ABOUT PITTSBURGH VENTURE CAPITAL ASSOCIATION (PVCA)
The Pittsburgh Venture Capital Association was founded in 1982 to serve as a catalyst for venture capital and entrepreneurship in Pittsburgh. The group is the leading voice of private equity investors in Western Pennsylvania and among the most prominent in the Mid-Atlantic region. The PVCA works as an advocate for the venture capital industry and facilitates the flow of capital into promising ventures through networking luncheons, receptions, prominent events like the 3 Rivers Venture Fair and other activities that encourage discussions on topics pertaining to investment trends, financing, tax issues, IPOs and public policy issues. While the PVCA’s focus is on Western Pennsylvania, their influence has expanded nationally through the high-profile 3 Rivers Venture Fair, which attracts more than 700 attendees, including some of the nation’s most prominent investors and firms. The PVCA’s membership includes every major venture capital firm in the region, as well as private investors, top-tier service providers and leaders in economic development.