Episode 4: Featuring Chris Morganelli

Enjoy this new Tales from DeSales, hosted by the president, Fr. Jim Greenfield. In this episode Fr. Jim sits down with with Chris Morganelli, who graduated from DeSales in 2011 with a Computer Science degree.

Chris Morganelli is a Lehigh Valley based entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of MCIT, and a trusted advisor to organizations navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, cybersecurity, and modern IT operations.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Well, welcome to Sales University friends, alumni. I am delighted to host episode four of Tales from Detales, where we feature very prominent alumni to be a guest with me to talk about life, to talk about their association with the sales, and anything else that comes up. And so I am thrilled to welcome this young man here, Chris Morganelli. You are from the class of 2011. You went to Notre Dame High School in Easton, and you came here to the sales. If you don't mind, I'm just going to read about you because there's so much to be said. I don't want to leave anything out. Does that sound okay? Sounds fantastic. If I get this wrong, just edit me out, okay? So Chris Morganelli is a Lehigh Valley-based entrepreneur, co-founder and co-CEO of MCIT. So please show your shirt off there. There we have it. And a trusted advisor to organizations navigating the rapidly evolving landscape of AI, cybersecurity, and modern IT operations. You also helped shape the Lehigh Valley commercial and residential footprint. Since founding MCIT in 2015, you've led the company's growth into a high-performing tech partner serving businesses across multiple industries. So my sense is that you're aligning technology with business outcomes, which I think is so necessary. You are particularly known for helping organizations move from AI exploration to real-world implementation. And really look forward to chatting with you about that today, because that's what we're trying to do here at DeSales. But here's a line that jumped out at me, and I want to make sure that we kind of use this as our starting point for the conversation. That you want to help power up, stress down, and secure always. So that mantra is really cool. Chris, welcome to Dell to Tales from DeSales. Tell us a little bit about you and how you got to DeSales University. Sure. Well, first off, thank you for having me. Hey man, thanks for coming. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

It's great to be back uh on campus here. Okay. It's been a little bit of time, but uh it's amazing to see the evolution of the campus from when I when I was here. Um de Sales University. I mean, I I could tell you what I've had have some great memories and stories about being here with friends um on the weekends, and of course. Share any of them you want to. Okay. Um it was it was an amazing uh experience being here. And so uh really honored to be back here and uh part of this show. Um, yeah, you know, I bore born and raised in Lehigh Valley, um, grew up in Bethlehem, and so from very early on, I always knew I wanted to stay local uh with with my college career. And the Lehigh Valley has some great universities and colleges, um, but the sales uh when I visited really stuck out and the individuals I met really resonated with me. And so uh it really became a it was an easy decision to choose the sales um to be my my home for the next four years. And uh even though I was from the Valley, I lived on campus, and I really think um it helped foster the relationships and friendships uh that I still have today um and created some great memories. Okay. A lot of fun times. But then uh I did choose to pursue my computer science degree here.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

And uh who was uh like who were some faculty back then? Uh Professor Benita Moyer.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Beneed who was the chair at the time. Okay, and um a gentleman, um Mike Kudok, who really Mike was a mentor of mine through through college, and I still talk to him actually today. That's great. Um, and uh he's been a very big inspiration, and I do credit him to where I am today uh with some of our conversations in the past as well.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

So that's great to know. I don't know him, but I hope I get the chance to meet him to tell him the but the great recommendation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

Yeah, fantastic gentleman. Um, but uh yeah, the computer science was my my choice of uh study and just recognizing and seeing where the the the world was heading to um with technology, I felt like I, you know, ended up making the right decision uh for where I am today.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

You said that the sales resonated with you, and um I'm really happy that you said that, but can you be a little more explicit about the resonance you know, the you know, the be who be who you are and be that well, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:17

I love it. I over the years um have become very reflective of who I am as an individual, and I think the sales, well before I was able to recognize who I am and take that deep reflective approach, um, started putting laying the foundation for that, right? Um and throughout your college career, you know, you you do explore yourself, who you are, you learn what you like, what you don't like, the people you want to be around. Um, and so I think the sales did a really good job of causing uh myself and my friends to reflect, right? Become curious about who we are. And as you find out who you are, you know, be it be the best you can be. And it does it really resonated. Um, and I and I credit the sales for that.

SPEAKER_00 4:59

That's great. And it it seems to me, I mean, this is the first time that we're really sitting down for a conversation, but I have this strong sense uh that you're doing that really well. So thank you. Appreciate that. Um Brennan Purcell is one of our professors here. Uh, did you know him from your time? Okay. I think he was a history professor back then. Now he's in the um School of Business, the Waterbury Riot School of Business as a professor. Um he's doing applied data analytics, artificial intelligence, um, doing fabulous things here. Um, and he's really helping us, the faculty especially, um, you know, with the avalanche, not the advent of AI. But something he says often, and it really um it strikes me as so necessary for us to know, is like the two things AI cannot do. AI cannot love and AI cannot think. And here you are, MCIT, you're looking at the intersection of cybersecurity, AI, and all these other technologies out there. Um, how are you doing it? And how are you doing it with the mission that we have here at DeSales of you know, helping people to be their best?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

Yeah, so is that a fair question? It is a fair question, it's and it's also a loaded one. Um because you know the world we live in is is changing very fast. And I'm I'm talking faster than people are recognizing. And so uh at MCIT, our whole approach is a security-first mentality, right? We're protecting people's money, their data, and their reputations. And that's from hackers, that's from bad actors, but now it's also from AI that's being utilized in a in a in a non-posit way, right? So, you know, our our job right now is education first. Like we're educating the business community on uh why AI is no longer an option, but they need to adopt it, but in a responsible way, right? The keyword is responsible. And so, you know, we're hosting seminars on what AI is gonna do to the workforce in Lehigh Valley, how AI will help um organizations get their individuals and their employees more productive and efficient in a in a responsible way. Um, if there are not guard guardrails in place, if there's not policy in place, uh AI will cause havoc and businesses will lose data, they'll have uh major headaches, and there the nuances of how, I'm sorry, the original purpose of how AI was supposed to help will not will not happen. So our goal is to educate, create guardrails and and policy, and then help companies implement AI in a very responsible way to help them grow. Um, you know, there's you see articles hitting the news every every day and every week about people getting laid off. And I do believe there are going to be job opportunities jobs that are gonna be fully focused on AI and automated. However, what we like to do is we like to approach organizations to keep their people, upskill them, and show them how to use AI in a responsible way, right? And so um And could you say, is that what you call as really bot-proofing jobs? Yes, in some aspect, yes. Yes. Um, you know, from on that topic, you know, we're the warehouses are, you know, the robotics are coming for the warehouses, that's happening. But what we're seeing is AI is also coming from the back office, right? The the white-collar jobs, the high-paying jobs, um, you know, the legal industry, the financial industry. And so um we're trying to upskill individuals and industries on how to utilize AI so they don't become that industry that got obliterated uh because of AI taking over all their jobs. So um that's the responsibility we feel we have.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Just last week or two weeks ago on campus, we hosted a forum. We invited uh LVHN, Jeff, uh St. Luke's, Brennan Purcell was a faculty member here, um, and some students in healthcare administration, but they were the organizers. But I think it was the the the guest from St. Luke's, no LVHN, who said that now when you go to your doctor's appointment and you're there speaking, like you don't need all the other people in that back office because of AI. Like, even the doctor is able to just do this all by herself or himself. Um, and that that really got my attention. Um, and I know that's not your space per se, but uh what what particular things do you do to help businesses um deal with all of these factors?

SPEAKER_01 9:25

Um so I mean, gosh, there's there's a multitude of things. So going back to the guardrails and policy, right? Uh, but we also identify how companies, uh what their workflow is, how their data is being stored, uh how it's being accessed, how it goes from one individual or department to another. And um we're we're trying to help them automate that process. Um, you know, my myself personally, um I use Cloud Co-work and it helps automate some of the mundane tasks I do on a day-to-day basis, right? That uh could easily be automated now with AI. So um you know, there's instances where I feel I have a you know small team of three, four, five people helping me on my day-to-day basis, but it's truly AI working in the background, you know, um, creating content, getting tasks done, scheduling of uh meetings, emails, and whatnot, uh proposal creation. So uh there's a multitude of things that you could apply this to, um, depending on obviously what which industry you're you're working with.

SPEAKER_00 10:18

Um you're an entrepreneur, and we throw that word around a lot. So we've talked here at the sales about having an entrepreneur in residence, which I think is a great idea. Maybe we're gonna invite you to be that person. Um, but what is your definition of being an entrepreneur?

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Sure. So I've been an entrepreneur all my life. So even let's give me back to my childhood. I was the kid in a neighborhood that had a tin can taped to the snow shovel, right? Shoveling driveways and whatnot. I also built my own lemonade stand. What was the tin can for? Putting those $20 bills in there, right? Um, and you know, I was the kid that built the lemonade stand. So I was always uh I loved building and and grinding and making that dollar through hard work. And so fast forwarding to my professional career, um, you know, I started MCIT about 11 years ago and um building and creating a vision for the team members uh to get excited about is something I absolutely love. Uh it's it's been really exciting. I've I'm very blessed with the team I have surrounding me. Um I couldn't have done this without everybody. Uh and so as MCIT continue to grow, you know, I diversified a little bit. My brother and I opened up Morgan Eye Properties, which is a real estate brokerage here in Leah Valley. And we have about 50 plus agents over there now as well. Um that company really runs uh the day-to-day with the people. As if you weren't busy enough with MCIT. Yes. Okay, all right. Um but that you know that company really does run uh with the people we have there, they do a great job. Okay. Um and then uh actually coinciding with Network Magazine, I'm sorry, with MCIT's growth, uh, I did start Network Magazine, which is a B2B publication in the Lehigh Valley. And the purpose for that was just as it's called to grow my network. Okay. And so um each issue release, which is a quarterly based magazine, we have a VIP invited-only release party where business leaders from around the region come together to network, talk about business opportunities, and it's just a really good room full of um purposeful people looking to bring value to relationships. And so that's you know, my whole ethos, if you will, is how can I be valuable to anyone I come in contact with, whether it's through real estate, whether it's through IT or an AI, um, or just on a personal level, right? I think uh connecting with people um and bringing value in some capacity, um, it's just a win-win.

SPEAKER_00 12:29

Absolutely. Two things. Um, and one is just uh like a PS to what you said here at the university. If you notice some of the signs around campus that says connect, so we we we branded the university a few years ago, um, and and we think that we're trying to get traction from that that that theme of connect. Um, so we connect to your future, to your dreams, to your job, all those things. And I always say like the unconnected life is not worth living. Kind of a paraphrase of the uh Delphi oracle. I like that. Like who says the unexamined life is not worth living. But in order to do that, and you said this earlier as an entrepreneur, you have to have a vision. And that is so important because I think sometimes we skip over that. You know, we go right to a mission, but you need the vision. Uh, even scripture says without a vision, the people perish. So, what's your vision?

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Good question. Such a loaded question, too. Um on a high level, I think my vision for myself as an individual, and let's talk about you know, when the community sees Chris Morganelli, um, is that uh I've built a community, whether it's multiple entities or companies, that have collectively put together a team of passionate people that believe in me and what the the promises that I would make to them as a leader, right? Um in the community I'm involved with uh uh numerous boards. Um actually I'm on the computer science advisory board for desales here, which honored to be a part of.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

Yeah, go to Ann's doing a great job. Okay. Um Ann is Ann Halk? Yes. Okay, because the people watching and listening may not know. Tell us about Ann. I mean, I know her, but I want you to say how you how you experience her. Well she's one of our professors. Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

Um and I actually did not I did not have the chance to have her as a professor when I was here. Um, but being in the computer science department was relatively small. Sure. Um, and we all knew each other. And so um her vision for what a computer science department should be like for the success success of students post-graduation was spot on. Um, she really does care about the students, and the fact that she's created this advisory board um with alumni that are out in the workforce in the real world and really taking feedback from us and what we're seeing. Uh it's it's I think these students are in really good hands. I think the program is thriving. Um, she has created these um yearly networking opportunities for the students and alumni within the computer science department, uh, which I've joined. And you see the excitement from these kids uh and and students, and they're curious. And the the whole thing I think about moving forward in today's day and age with AI and everything is responsibility, but also being curious, right? And so I think um that mixture of everything that DeSales has done um and what Ann's doing with the computer science department is just fascinating.

SPEAKER_00 15:18

That's great. And I I think she's a superb uh human being, great, great role model, and a wonderful colleague. So I'm really glad that you recognize all of that. Uh, but going back to the vision thing, um, you know, you you put that vision even in your personal life, uh, which I I loved hearing about that. Um what was it like visioning through COVID with all of these startups?

SPEAKER_01 15:43

So COVID was an interesting time. Um for the for the real estate side, that was um, you know, that was a time where you know real estate just halted, really. I mean, there were, you know, you couldn't do open houses and whatnot. So our our real real estate agents were, you know, they were scared and worried. Um that was just a waiting game, unfortunately. You really couldn't do anything there. Uh now with MCIT, we pivoted, right? You know, there was in some industries you had to seize the opportunity about how the work from home environment was being forced. And so our business model uh shifted in terms of the infrastructure and the technologies that we were giving and providing to our clients. And so, as a terrible time that was in our country, um honing down to MCIT in the Lehigh Valley, you know, we we really pivoted and I think it actually helped our success today in terms of how we approach um you know the future of people moving and being remote and whatnot. So uh it was it was certainly a unique time time period. Um, but MCIT actually pivoted very, very well and uh thrived actually during that during that period of time.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

That's great. I, you know, I was I was just beginning uh my presidency here around that time, and I I said to someone at one point, like every decision I or the leadership team made had a shelf life of seven days. You know, so when you said pivoting, and and I I felt like you know, it was learning the art of improvisation. Yes, you know, you're you're you're balancing a feather, a chainsaw, and a tomato every day, right? Um but that that helps us like leaders don't just kind of emerge in crisis, that they find their their voice. And it sounds like you've done that. I mean, here in the Lehigh Valley, I serve on the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Board, and you and you said you serve on quite a few boards, which is really important to be connected with the community. But uh I learned a few meetings ago that Lehigh County and Northampton County, these two counties in the entire state of Pennsylvania, I think there's like 52 counties, that we are the youngest. So, and and if we have all these young people here, the housing market is really a problem because there's there's no supply, right? So, what are you as as someone that's involved in real estate, uh, how are you helping that? I think that's a real problem if we want to keep these young people here for affordable housing and you know, say like we want you to establish yourself and and commit it to the GNP of the Lehigh Valley.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Yeah, so the EDC does a great job. I mean, I think we're the top one of the top 10 GDP growth in the entire country. Yes. Um and so uh this goes back to why I think it's number eight. Is it that? I think it's number eight. You know, it goes back to why I've stayed in the Lehigh Valley local. Um, I think the growth opportunities are are fantastic. Uh, I think the you you you hit a great point. The housing market in Lehigh Valley is uh struggling for inventory. Um and this goes back to there's a lot of growth going on, you know, if you've manufacturing uh coming into Lehigh Valley, you have Eli Lilly coming in, you know, over the next couple years. Yes. Um, you know, I think that this region, you see, students come in for, you know, for myself, I had friends from high school that moved away from caught for college, right? Um, I stayed local and I met amazing individuals here through my college career, and I'd say most of them did end up staying. I think because the periods of time that we were here during college, the Lehigh Valley went through this growth. I won't say resonance, renaissance. Renaissance. But it went through this great growth period. Yeah. And uh so yeah, the housing market, you know, that we work with a lot of developers in the Lehigh Valley with protecting their cybersecurity and their IT support, and so and uh in home builders and whatnot. So we see the apartment complexes going up. Um, but um, individual single family homes, yeah, inventory is is scarce. So what we're doing at Morganite properties to help uh, you know, is when homes do come on the market, we're we're trying to negotiate fast and get our agents are working hard to get our clients uh in those homes. So um, yeah, it's just I think uh it's supply and demand and the growth of the economy here is just uh you know it's trying to play catch up a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

So uh you are a very impressive young man. Yes, and uh as the president of our alma mater, I'm really happy to be having this time with you and even more proud of the work you're doing in the Lehigh Valley. Um, as we wind down this conversation, I'm wondering what advice you would give to our student body here today uh to dip their feet into the world of entrepreneurship.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

That's a great question. Uh first and foremost, do it. Do it. Simple as that, right? Okay. Um, you know, there's I've learned a lot over the past how many years, decade or so of you know failing, figuring out how to do it the right way. Uh I say failing, you know, those are always learning experiences, right? And so um entrepreneurship is not for everybody. Uh there are some there's some long days, long weeks, sure, long months, and sometimes even long years. But at the end of the day, uh you know you're building something that's unique to your vision. You're getting people to buy into that as well and believe in you and what your you stand for. And so um not only does it come with a lot of responsibility, but it does come with a lot of reward. Uh, you know, looking, you know, taking a step back, which you need to do every now and then and and and look at what you've built with other people, it's it's just amazing. You know, I looking at Morganite Properties and MCIT and Network Magazine, you know, the people we have, they they love what they do. And we're making true impact in our community. You know, we're finding people there forever homes, we're finding people there for starter homes, you know, the MCIT, we're protecting organizations' money, data, and reputations. In Network Magazine, we're fostering relationships for people to find new opportunities. And so um, you know, entrepreneurship is very rewarding. It's um if you have the the gut and stomach for it, I'd say definitely take the risk. Okay. Um, and have fun at the end of the day. It's it's really um, I always say you have this one human experience, right? And you have to have fun doing it.

SPEAKER_00 21:49

Yeah. Uh and speaking of having fun, I have two more questions before we wrap up. Cybersecurity and some of the issues we hear about, you know. are are basically ubiquitous. How can we, as a society today, because we're so reliant on technologies that are out there, how can we feel calm, go to work and and have some fun, but still stay vigilant in this whole arena? What what's the mix there?

SPEAKER_01 22:25

This goes back to having good leadership teams at these organizations that recognize that this is the way the world's going. And you have that the leadership teams and their technology experts within those organizations have put the right guardrails and policies in place. If those are in place then your team members and employees can truly have fun and thrive within their roles. Right. You know AI's purpose is to uh improve efficiency, uh create productivity, um, but you don't need to get rid of your people for that. You can include those people in in that in that type of uh action. So um stay curious, be responsible. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 23:02

Great. And my closing question is and really we I I want you to inspire all of us uh what what is your deepest joy? Like what what are you contributing to the world? I mean we kind of know that you're like super smart you're doing some some amazing things out there but what gives you joy?

SPEAKER_01 23:20

Well I appreciate that that compliment um I'm surrounded by very smart people okay so it helps. But honestly with all the businesses and the the the boards I sit on the the thing that gives me a Mercritish story of my my two children. Wow you know my son Carter and my daughter McKenna uh I've you know when you have kids it really changes your perspective on your why okay and for me uh you know I get up every morning and do what I do uh so I can spend the time I want with with my children and uh show them that you can do what you love you can have fun doing it and whatever your dreams may be uh chase them it's you know the skies is really the limit so those those two really inspire me and and give me joy every single day.

SPEAKER_00 24:02

Amen. So when will Carter and McKenna be enrolling at the sales?

SPEAKER_02 24:06

We have quite a couple we have a couple years for that a few more years.

SPEAKER_00 24:09

Yeah yeah Carter's four and McKenna's a year and a half okay well I will not be president at that point but I'll put a little note in the desk for the next president I think we need to have some kind of scholarship or something. Chris thank you so much for being my guest today I'm gonna talk to Dean Chris Krikoza of the Waterbury Raleigh Business School because you have to come and speak about it on entrepreneurship. I'm gonna let Ann Hauck know about that beautiful shout out you gave her I know Dan Vellante our alumni director and you both went to Notre Dame together and here and he was somewhat instrumental having you come here. He was um thank you you're making us very proud and as the president um I just want to thank you for making the sale shine and making it the beacon of the Wii High Valley. So um peace and God bless I appreciate it. Thank you very much