Christopher Wink
Journalist · Entrepreneur · Public Speaker
Christopher Wink is a journalist and entrepreneur who has reported for two-decades on technology, startups and economic development across the United States. Wink is the cofounder and publisher of Technical.ly, the country's longest-running local newsroom focused on the local effects of entrepreneurship and innovation. He is a frequent public speaker, typically on local journalism and storytelling strategy, entrepreneurship and technology, including artificial intelligence, community building and place-based economic development. Subscribe to his weekly newsletter on national trends in state and local economic development trends at technical.ly/builders.
His two longest-running professional obsessions: Journalists underestimate the power of entrepreneurship, and entrepreneur advocates underestimate the power of storytelling. His work is focused on changing both.
Technical.ly reaches 150,000 monthly readers and 50,000 newsletter subscribers, and prioritizes AI visibility and social media reach. He cofounded Philly Tech Week, Baltimore Innovation Week and Klein News Innovation Camp, among other events that bring smart people together. Elsewhere, his journalism has appeared in Business Insider, Columbia Journalism Review and Men's Journal.
In 2013, Wink co-hosted what is still the Guinness-certified world's largest video game: an interactive competition on the side of a Philadelphia skyscraper. In 2014, he co-facilitated an international hackathon in Doha, Qatar, and in 2016, he led a multi-city tour of entrepreneurial ecosystems across the United States. In 2018, he hosted a podcast focused on the witing process, which featured hip hop star TI, Daily Show correspondent Dulce Sloan and National Book Award-winner Danez Smith. In 2025, he authored PhillyABCs ($12.99, Schiffer Kids), a quirky and colorful kids board book homage to his hometown.
Before becoming a journalist and entrepreneur, he worked as a carpenter's aide and plumber's apprentice, with a stint in homelessness services too. Folio magazine named him one of the 100 most innovative media leaders in the country. He speaks regularly at economic development, entrepreneurship and journalism events, including SXSW, IEDC and the Online News Association conference. He spent a summer in Ghana and a semester in Tokyo. He lives in Philadelphia with his family, commutes by bicycle and drinks too much whiskey.
Upcoming Speaking
- The Local Effects of Artificial Intelligence — Leadership Philadelphia, Jan. 8, 2026
- AI for Low Wealth Communities — Personal Finance Day, Jan. 10, 2026
- Mega-Events for Economic Development — IEDC Leadership Summit, Washington DC, Feb. 3, 2026
- AI and HR — IAMPhenom Analyst Day, March 11, 2026
- AI Ethics in Storytelling — New Mexico Local News Summit, March 20, 2026
- Pittsburgh Entrepreneurship Trends — RealLIST Pittsburgh Startups, March 24, 2026
- Science Communications at the Crossroads — University of Maryland Science Conference, Baltimore, March 27, 2026
- PhillyABCs Reading — Midsummer Books, Philadelphia, April 19, 2026
- Who are Entrepreneurship's Enemies? — Technical.ly Builders Conference, May 6-8, 2026
Current Work
Watch
Watch Chris's recent conference keynote answering "How tech and entrepreneurship helps economic mobility." To see his other speaking visit his blog here.
Selected Writing
Headshots
About
Who is Christopher Wink?
Christopher Wink is an American journalist and entrepreneur best known as the cofounder and publisher of the news org Technical.ly. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he is a leading expert in entrepreneurship-led economic development, the local effects of technology, sustainable local news models and storytelling strategy. He is a frequent public speaker on these topics and others. In 2025, he authored PhillyABCs, a colorful kids board book-homage to his hometown.
What does Christopher Wink specialize in?
Christopher Wink specializes both in the development of sustainable local news, journalism and information models, storytelling strategy and community building and in the subject matter of entrepreneurship, emerging technology and science and in "ecosystem building," a phrase commonly used to describe innovation-led, place-based economic development. He lives in Philadelphia and loves reading, writing and good whiskey.
Is Christopher Wink available for speaking?
Yes. Christopher Wink is regularly hired as a keynote speaker, especially for events that want an irreverent approach to a data-backed and journalistic lens on entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, ecosystem building or local journalism, storytelling and news and information gathering. He is typically known for on-the-ground reporting, and mixing wonky and academic interpretations via his journalism, and an approachable, humorous style. Find examples of his speaking here.
How do I pitch Christopher Wink a story?
Christopher Wink is the founder and publisher of Technical.ly. He does write a weekly newsletter and column focused on national trends in entrepreneurship and tech-led economic development. He does take pitches via direct email at chris@technical.ly but commonly it is better to access the Technical.ly newsroom directly. Find a full staff list, including email addresses at technical.ly/about. If you do truly seek Christopher directly, email him or schedule using the tool linked below.