East Erie Satellite: Innovation in Action: NW PA Founder Conversations
A Panel Discussion Featuring Entrepreneurs and Business Owners in Conversation with Brian Slawin, B.S., Ben Franklin Technology Partner Regional Director and Portfolio Manager
Innovation doesn't live in theory. Instead, it lives in decisions, risk and execution and the founders and their teams who adapt to change as they create long-term value. This dynamic and interactive panel convenes founders from the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA portfolio, and will explore how innovation drives growth, resilience and reinvention at both the company level and the community impact that has. This seminar is a candid look at how Northwest Pennsylvania innovators are laying the groundwork for the future by moving beyond buzzwords to examine how innovation actually happens and reveals what innovation looks like when ideas are turned into durable businesses by navigating uncertainty and designing models built to last.
As the United States reflects on 250 years of progress, this panel will focus on what comes next by reframing innovation as a daily discipline actively shaping the economic future of Northwest Pennsylvania. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of innovation as a lived practice that is actively reshaping the region's future.
This event is part of the JES's USA 250 Event Series, and part of the KeyStone Sparks series in partnership with Ben Franklin Technology Partners.
Location: ECAT: Erie Center for Arts and Technology – 650 East Ave., Ada Lawrence Community Room, Erie, PA 16503
Date/Time: Thursday, September 17th, 6:00-7:30PM
Admission: FREE
Brian Slawin, B.S., is a serial entrepreneur who discovers, invests in, and supports startup technology and small manufacturing companies throughout Central & Northern PA. Growing up in St. Louis – and beneath the flight path of Lambert Field – Brian’s lifelong obsession with all things that fly led him to become a Commercial Pilot, a Gold Seal Chief Flight Instructor, and an airshow pilot for more than 15 years. Now, as a Board Member of the Erie Regional Airport Authority, Brian combines his insights as a small business and start-up mentor in his work with other ERAA Board Members and the professional staff at ERI to support the forward progress being made at the Erie International Airport.
Tina Donikowski retired from General Electric in 2015 after more than 30 years with the company, serving as Vice President of Global Locomotive Operations and a GE Corporate Officer. She led GE Transportation's $3 billion locomotive business, drove global growth and innovation, and helped bring the industry's first EPA Tier 4-compliant locomotive to market. Following her retirement, she has served as an independent director for several public and private companies and currently serves on the boards of Advanced Energy, TopBuild, and Eriez Magnetics. A longtime supporter of higher education, she is also a member of the Gannon University Board of Trustees. Ms. Donikowski earned her bachelor's degree in Industrial Management from Gannon University and received an honorary doctorate from the university in 2011.
Erin Kerner is the founder and CEO of Eventio, an AI-powered event planning platform that simplifies event planning while connecting hosts with independent vendors. Since launching in Erie, Pennsylvania, Eventio has earned investment from Ben Franklin Technology Partners, won the TechCelerator pitch competition, and was named a semifinalist for Pharrell Williams' Black Ambition Prize. Prior to founding Eventio, Ms. Kerner spent more than a decade in luxury fashion, holding leadership roles with Louis Vuitton, Versace, Valentino, and MCM Worldwide, where she directed high-profile client events and strategic partnerships across North and South America. A native of Erie, she was a standout Division I basketball player at Quinnipiac University and is a member of the Erie Sports Hall of Fame. Ms. Kerner serves on the boards of the Erie Regional Airport Authority and the Erie Community College Foundation and was recognized in the Erie Reader's 2026 Forty Under 40. She holds both an undergraduate degree in International Business and an MBA from Quinnipiac University.
Fred Teitman
Fred Teitman is a Partner and Co-Owner of Nine Ships, the Erie-based parent company of Modular Engineering, Corporate Glass, and M-E Construction. Fred built his early career through GE's Information Management Leadership Program, taking on roles across IT, supply chain, product management, and commercial strategy, along with process engineering work at eBay/PayPal. Fred and his partners Ryan Martorella and Shaun Seifert acquired Modular Engineering in 2017, growing the nearly 50-year-old custom fabricator of industrial and commercial enclosures into a vertically integrated, multi-entity manufacturing platform now building a new $14 million waterfront facility on the former Hammermill Paper property.
