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Barry hails from Pittsburgh, PA where he has worked as a welder, community organizer, program manager, program director, managing director, vice-president, president, managing partner, CEO and social entrepreneur. He know lives in St. Louis, MO and uses his vast experience working as a consultant to develop social enterprise and urban impact initiatives. You can reach Barry at barry@keystrategicgroup.com |
Biography
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I began my life’s work as a welder and machine operator at Liberty Welding Company in Pittsburgh. While working on the shop floor, I earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Point Park University. My professional career began in 1976, when I went to work as a community organizer for the federal anti-poverty organization, Community Action Pittsburgh.
In 1978, I joined the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bureau for Social Programs and Community Action where I was at the forefront of forming and funding community development and social impact organizations throughout Southwestern PA. In response to the large numbers of unemployed workers during the back to back recessions in the 1980’s, I converted a closed Catholic high school in Homestead, PA into a thriving economic recovery and jobs creation hub—the Bishop Boyle Center—housing emerging businesses, economic development and training programs focusing on the needs of the region’s unemployed workforce. In 1988, I joined the newly forming Southwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Centers (currently Catalyst Connection). During my tenure as managing director, the organization gained national and international recognition as a leading industrial modernization program and became one of the first Manufacturing Extension Partnerships funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. . In 1993, I formed World-Class Industrial Network, LLC (WIN), a project development and management-consulting firm staffed by a team of socially conscious entrepreneurs and experienced professionals. WIN was founded with the commitment to look beyond traditional solutions to improve the performance and social impact of community, academic and business organizations. I served as managing partner of the firm until December 2017. Over the years, WIN has served hundreds of clients, providing strategy, program design, market development, revenue growth, information technology consulting and social enterprise development services. WIN’s list of clients includes universities, economic development organizations, social service agencies, workforce investment boards, workforce training intermediaries, industry associations, government agencies, and private businesses. Given my personal interest and history in employment development, WIN developed a professional services practice using a ‘process driven model’ to design and implement systems for improving outcomes and continuously improving performance of workforce development initiatives and agencies. As managing partner, I was the lead consultant in over eighty client engagements through the WIN Workforce Innovations practice. Several of these initiatives were identified, studied and promoted as best practices by entities including: Jobs For the Future, The Aspen Institute, University of Pittsburgh Center for Social and Urban Research, SURDNA Foundation, Fortune Magazine, Deloitte, and the Wall Street Journal. WIN developed and was selected as the ‘turnkey’ management contractor for the Institute for Economic Transformation at Duquesne University. In addition to my role as Managing Partner at WIN, I served as the Executive Director of the Institute for seventeen years. Under the umbrella of the Palumbo School of Business, the Institute gained national attention and numerous awards for innovative programming in executive education and corporate training, economic and workforce development initiatives. |
In 1998, I was a co-developer of the nationally recognized Manufacturing 2000 (M2K) program, a machinist training collaborative developed to meet the critical skills gaps in the region’s manufacturing sector and diversify the workforce by targeting low-income, minority and women candidates. M2K delivers entry-level training to qualified applicants at no charge. The program is the principal supplier of entry-level machinists in Southwestern Pennsylvania and is partnered with the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling and Machining Association to provide manufacturers and individuals with a proven metalworking apprenticeship related instruction program.
In 2000, New Century Careers was incorporated as a non-profit (501-c-3) to nurture and expand the M2K program, and I was asked by the NCC Board of Directors to become its President. I served in that position until November 2011 and continued to serve as a Board Member until 2016. In 2010 WIN launched eCap Network, LLC, a social enterprise, in partnership with a Pittsburgh based non-profit economic development organization and two Pennsylvania Sustainable Energy Funds. This social venture provided comprehensive energy management services for smaller- and mid-sized industrial, commercial, institutional and municipal facilities. I served as CEO until the enterprise was sold to its largest customer, CPower, in July 2017. After moving from Pittsburgh in 2016, to be near family in St. Louis, I continued to engage in social impact consulting. I currently serve as the first Social Entrepreneur in Residence at Saint Louis University and as the Principal Consultant in a social impact consultancy, Key Strategic Group, LLC. Throughout my 40 plus year career, I have served on the board of many non-profit organizations and I am proud to have been involved as a founding developer and board member of several prominent non-profit organizations and social ventures including: Dollar Energy Fund - www.dollarenergy.org New Century Careers - www.ncsquared.com Bridgeway Capital - www.bridgeway.com Community Kitchen of Pittsburgh - www.communitykitchenpittsburgh.org I’m also proud to have served in a key strategic role during the formation and start-up of several high impact economic development, social, environmental and social ventures including:
I’ve given presentations, seminars and workshops throughout the United States, Northern Ireland and Japan on the topics of manufacturing modernization, workforce development and industrial networking. I am very proud of the life I lived and the work I’ve done, and I look forward to the next stage of my life and career in St. Louis. |
Key Experiences
Managing Director During his tenure as managing director of the Southwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center, Barry built a team that gained international recognition as a world-class industrial modernization organization, and qualified as one of the first Manufacturing Extension Partnerships funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Executive Director of the Institute for Economic Transformation at Duquesne University. Barry served as the Executive Director of the Institute for seventeen years. The Institute received numerous awards for innovative programming and stakeholder partnerships in executive education, corporate training, career literacy programming, economic and workforce development initiatives.
Founder and Managing Partner of World-Class Industrial Network, a Pittsburgh-based project development and management-consulting firm. Barry founded and built a team of socially conscious entrepreneurs and experienced professionals, that share a commitment to look beyond traditional solutions, to improve impact and performance of organizations. Barry provided strategy, program design, market development, revenue generation, workforce development and social enterprise development services for twenty-five years at WIN, before moving to St. Louis in 2016.
Founder and CEO of eCap Network, LLC, formed in partnership with three mission-based organizations. This social enterprise provided comprehensive energy efficiency, carbon reduction and management services for smaller- and mid-sized industrial, commercial, institutional and municipal facilities. Barry served as CEO until 2017, when eCap Network was purchased by its largest customer, CPower, and expanded nationally.
Social Entrepreneur In Residence at Saint Louis University. Barry is engaged by SLU to connect the University with urban impact initiatives and to advance social enterprise development throughout the region.
Executive Director of the Institute for Economic Transformation at Duquesne University. Barry served as the Executive Director of the Institute for seventeen years. The Institute received numerous awards for innovative programming and stakeholder partnerships in executive education, corporate training, career literacy programming, economic and workforce development initiatives.
Founder and Managing Partner of World-Class Industrial Network, a Pittsburgh-based project development and management-consulting firm. Barry founded and built a team of socially conscious entrepreneurs and experienced professionals, that share a commitment to look beyond traditional solutions, to improve impact and performance of organizations. Barry provided strategy, program design, market development, revenue generation, workforce development and social enterprise development services for twenty-five years at WIN, before moving to St. Louis in 2016.
Founder and CEO of eCap Network, LLC, formed in partnership with three mission-based organizations. This social enterprise provided comprehensive energy efficiency, carbon reduction and management services for smaller- and mid-sized industrial, commercial, institutional and municipal facilities. Barry served as CEO until 2017, when eCap Network was purchased by its largest customer, CPower, and expanded nationally.
Social Entrepreneur In Residence at Saint Louis University. Barry is engaged by SLU to connect the University with urban impact initiatives and to advance social enterprise development throughout the region.