Two videos of Pittsburgh businesses bookended the Google press conference on Thursday, when CEO Sundar Pichai announced the Google to Grow initiative and more.
The first video, which kicked off the program, tells the story of Pittsburgh maker and “self-taught CEO” Nisha Blackwell of Knotzland. “It’s a good feeling to imagine something and just go for it,” she says in the video. “I make bow ties!”
The video took four days of shooting in August, says Blackwell, who later flew to Google’s office in New York for some sound editing.
The second video, which closed the press event, tells the compelling story of McKees Rocks’ Jenny Lee Bakery which was destroyed by a fire and ultimately shut down. The company came back when Scott Baker, the son of the founder, retooled the business model to supply baked goods for grocery stores, making cinnamon bread their signature product. Featured is the lovable Donna, who lost her job then asked for it back when the company re-emerged as Five Generation Bakers.
How were they chosen? “We got a call from a casting director that was hired by Google to search for Pittsburgh businesses that were inspirational and young,” says Baker, who was at the press event. “I guess they picked a handful then talked to the Google team and were interviewed by the Google team and we made the cut.” See why in the video.
