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In the News

Aug. 13, 2019

$50,000, 5 teams, 1 summer – Summer Founders Program results

A signature program of Invent Penn State, the Summer Founders Program is a 13-week accelerator that provides teams $10,000 in funding, resources and mentorship to accelerate their ideas over the summer. Teams work full time on their startup, attend weekly dinners and meet regularly with advisers throughout the summer. The program does not take ownership or equity in participants’ businesses or nonprofits. All that’s asked is participants commit to working hard on their project for the summer and making an impact in their community.

Aug. 12, 2019

From fire safety to lending money, FastTrack startup teams pursue solutions

Several new startups launched by community and student entrepreneurs recently graduated from the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank FastTrack Accelerator. Their ideas spanned acne treatment; a better way to find a tech dream job or sublet an apartment; and a Smoke Shield System that increases the amount of time someone trapped in a fire can survive while waiting to be rescued.

Jul. 29, 2019

Student startup aims to improve health care through technology

“Don’t quit your daydream,” read the signs at the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank. For Joel Seidel, a rising junior majoring in information sciences and technology, that simple statement is fueling his passion to improve how individuals make informed decisions about their health.

Jul. 01, 2019

Alumni looking to create ‘buzz’ with lifestyle app

A team of former Penn State students has created Beemia, an app that is a platform for what they call “a community-fed information network.”

May. 17, 2019

Shenango student entrepreneurs win grand prize in Inc.U Competition

Penn State Shenango student entrepreneurs Ali Izzo and Holly Masters won $15,000 during “The Investment,” the finale of PennTAP’s Inc.U Competition, which aired May 16 on WPSU-TV.

May. 07, 2019

Student entrepreneur takes blood tests from the waiting room to the living room

Using Penn State’s entrepreneurial resources, recent graduate Sherveen “Shevy” Karbasi is bringing complete blood count testing out of the clinic and onto a smartphone via HemoGO, an app capable of delivering a CBC in less than a minute, all within the comfort and security of one’s own home.

May. 06, 2019

Probing question about online learners leads doctoral student to develop app

In an effort to address the low retention rates of online learners, education student Nicole Wang developed SPOT, a web-based application that allows for students to interact in an online classroom while remaining anonymous.

Apr. 23, 2019

Sustaining Communities Through Small Business

For post-industrial towns throughout Pennsylvania, the departure of major manufacturing brought with it a host of challenges. Yet, for many, it has created a new opportunity — the growth of small businesses and startups. The hope these businesses bring has been a driving force for Tom Sharbaugh, professor of practice in Penn State Law and director of the University’s Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic, which provides free legal resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs around Pennsylvania.

Mar. 27, 2019

Berks engineering team is finalist in Inc.U competition

It wasn’t until Masen Suhadolnik became a senior in the electro-mechanical engineering technology degree program at Penn State Berks that he discovered a way to combine his love of weight lifting, his knowledge of engineering, and his desire to help others.