The Bartender Who Built a Billion Dollar Airport | Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Pittsburgh International Airport

Christina Cassotis, CEO of the Pittsburgh International Airport, is executing the first ground-up, brand-new airport build in the US since the pandemic. Today she joins Thought Liters to tell that story and answer an important question: why do itYou'll also get to learn about Christina lifts up leaders, her 2030 vision for air travel in and out of the Steel City, and how she went from intentionally flunking out of college to becoming a high-powered CEO.Special thanks to Cafe Conmigo (and their owner Derek) who let us use their space inside the new terminal to film.0:00 The $1.7B Comeback (Trailer)1:09 Meet Christina Cassotis & The Pan Am Pilot Influence3:09 The Iced Tea Flight at Cafe Conmigo5:01 Why Great Ideas Fail (How to "Architect" Change)6:48 Leadership is Just Selling an Idea8:22 The Day the Hub Pulled Out: "This Isn't Coming Back"11:06 Speaking Truth to Power & Winning the Room15:23 Inside the New Terminal: Constellation Lighting & Design22:34 The Biggest Challenge: Building During a Global Pandemic26:49 Lightning Round: Rating Wild Airport Upgrades30:28 Inside the Actor's Studio: What Gets a CEO Out of Bed41:01 Last Call: Legacy-First Leadership & Mentorship47:16 Unfinished Business: The Final 6% of the New PIT49:18 Flunking Out of College & Advice for Your 20s51:00 The Final Sip & Behind the Scenes at Cafe Conmigo#businesspodcast #pittsburgh #thoughtlitersWHAT IS THOUGHT LITERS?Thought Liters is a series created and hosted by Adam Conner. On the show, Adam learns from the top of the world through the bottom of their glass. Each episode, we share a flight of local craft with the best and brightest brand minds around – whether it be an entrepreneur, an athlete, an artist, or otherwise. The questions evolve as the sip changes,The show is proudly founded and produced in Pittsburgh, PA.The whole goal is to have conversations about business with a more lighthearted look and feel. Adam thinks most business content is dry, and wants to change that.If you’re interested, follow along! If not, that’s cool too. But if you wanna be where the thought leaders are…you’ll tune in to where Thought Liters is.