THE AMERICAN ENTREPRENEUR is Western Pennsylvania's only weekly radio talk show devoted entirely to the entrepreneurial experience. Each Saturday from 9 AM until 12:30 PM on AM Newstalk 1360, Ron Morris puts over thirty years of entrepreneurial experience to work answering your business questions, solving your business problems, and bringing you all the latest information about everything that is happening on the entrepreneurial landscape. Call Ron during the show at (412) 333-1360.

"We talk about all things entrepreneurial", said Morris, himself an entrepreneur since 1972. "We encourage people to consider starting their own enterprises and we also talk a lot about what it's like to work in an entrepreneurial venture. Perhaps most importantly, we help entrepreneurs of all stages to become better at what they do. With ten start-ups under my belt and a very sharp listening audience, I like to think that there is no problem that we cannot at least help the listener with."

In addition to using his own experience to help listeners with the problems that are keeping them up at night, Morris taps into a network of the area’s top professionals to set the audience straight. The show regularly features expert advice in all walks of business life, including banking, insurance, financial planning, IT and computer network service, accounting, bookkeeping, legal issues, as well as the latest info on what our political leaders are doing to help the small business community.

Among those who have “talked shop” with Morris are Steve Forbes, Lillian Vernon, "Future Shock" author Alvin Toffler, "E-Myth" author Michael Gerber, JetBlue Airlines founder David Neeleman, "Crossing the Chasm" author Geoffrey Moore, and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman (star of “must-see” entrepreneurial documentary “Startup.com”).

The merits of the show have not gone unnoticed, as the show has been nominated for a March of Dimes Achievement in Radio Award in the category of “Best Weekend Show”.

Morris, 58, has been "at it" for over thirty years. In that time, he has started or helped to start a number of prominent firms in the Western Pennsylvania area, including: IGATE Capital (formerly Mastech Corporation), Rapidigm (Formerly ComputerPeople), MestaMed, and JDWarren, Inc. Of his ten startups, Morris often views his track record as “seven wins, two losses, and one tie.”

He has earned numerous accolades for his work. In 1999, he was the First Runner-up in the “Masters” category of Ernst and Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award (ironically enough, losing only to Tony Renda, owner of TAE’S “home station”, WPTT). In May of 2004, he was named the “Western Pennsylvania Small Business Journalist Advocate” of the year by the Western Pennsylvania chapter of the Small Business Administration.

In addition to hosting The American Entrepreneur, Morris continues what he calls his “knowledge philanthropy” through his role as the Director of the Entrepreneurial Studies Program at Duquesne University. The program, in only its sixth year of existence, has already been recognized as one of the preeminent collegiate entrepreneurship programs in the Middle States region.

Through his extensive career, Ron has remained humble, preferring to credit those he has met along the way.

"I've had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest entrepreneurs in this region", said Morris, "including Mark DeSantis at Mobile Fusion, Chris Allison of Tollgrade, Tom Grealish of Henderson Brothers, Rob Cochran of #1 Cochran, and Dr. Tom Emerson at the Don Jones Center at Carnegie Mellon University.”

In addition to these entrepreneurs, Ron also knows most of the "kingmakers" in western Pennsylvania. "Over the years, you can't help but get to know so many of the support and 'infrastructure people' affiliated with starting up a venture", said Morris, "people like Frank Demmler of Innovation Works, Jim Roddey of The Hawthorne Group, Jerry Cozewith of NFTE, Don Jones at Draper Financial, as well as dozens of other lawyers, venture capitalists, "angel" investors, and CEOs of organizations whose business it is to help start-ups start up! I guess I could never leave Pittsburgh --- I'm just too 'wired-in' to this wonderful support network."

Listeners to TAE will find that Western Pennsylvania is replete with those who either already have, or are in process of starting, their own enterprise. And, these people become callers to the show and their calls are ALWAYS interesting.

"Our callers run the gamut", says Morris, "I've had people call who are just beginning to investigate their markets and I've had people call who are selling out. Their problems are universal, though --- and they are always delighted to learn that there is someone out there who knows exactly what they are going through at that particular moment in time."

It is this "kinship" that probably differentiates TAE from other radio talk shows. "I've built companies with ZERO money and I've been associated with companies who have borrowed money", says Morris, "I've merged companies, I've sold companies, and I've even bankrupted a company." (My "greatest learning experience.”)

"So, when you tell me about your business problem, it's a pretty sure thing that I’ve 'seen it at least once before ... this ain't textbook stuff ...this is 'real bullets', real world stuff."

Like all entrepreneurs, Ron has his own role model/"hero", "And that person is Bruce Williams", he recently said, "Bruce tops me in terms of numbers of start-up - I think he has twelve to his credit. Plus, he has crashed his own airplane and there is no way in hell that I could top that, though I think it is a VERY cool thing to have happen to you!"

Are all entrepreneurs just a LITTLE bit crazy? Well, just re-read the last sentence, above.

So, give a listen - Saturdays at 9:00am, eastern time

"If I can't help you, I'm hard-pressed to guess who can", says Morris.

Try him out --- and see if you don't agree.