We started off our day with a visit to the Oaklander Hotel, where we met with the Director of Human Resources, Theresa Murdoch. She gave us a look at what it takes to operate a hotel successfully. One of the most surprising things we learned was how quickly the staff needs to turn over rooms to prepare for the upcoming guests. Theresa also explained how the hotel has to plan well in advance to accommodate large events or visiting sports teams. This includes scheduling, staffing, and managing resources so that the guest experience is seamless. She also shared the many challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel did not come and she had to fire a lot of people to survive. After leaving Oaklander, we headed to the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our first stop there was Ice House Studios, which offers affordable studio spaces for artists. We talked with the Lawrenceville Corporation, which is committed to supporting small mom and pop shops. They are focused on keeping big corporations out so that the community can thrive on its own. After that amazing meeting with them, the weather was extremely hot that day, so we took a quick stop to get ice cream and cool down before heading to Field Day. They are a coworking space located in Lawrenceville. We met with the owner, and he told us what he does to make his coworking space different from others and how he makes the business stay afloat. It is a subscription-based model where members pay $175 per month to use the space to work and have meetings. They have a day pass if people don’t want to work in a coffee shop but in a working space. The owner is also a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and his entire business philosophy centers around hospitality and creating a welcoming environment for everyone. One interesting thing he said during his talk was when someone asked him about AI. He was very opposed to AI, expressing concerns about its impact on having no human connection with his customers. After the discussion, we went up to the rooftop of Field Day, where we got to enjoy a stunning view of the city. The rooftop is also used as an event space. To wrap up our day, we headed to Lawrenceville Hall, where I had the only sushi in Pittsburgh. It was the perfect way to end a day full of learning, exploration, and a very hot day.
