The Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides business consulting and resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners in Centre, Mifflin, Lycoming and Clinton counties.The Penn State SBDC will be celebrating #SBDCDay on March 20 by hosting two events that are free and open to the public.

From March 18 to 22, Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC invites students from across the commonwealth to explore Penn State’s vast entrepreneurial ecosystem, learn from successful Penn State alumni, and connect with innovative peers through free, fun hands-on activities. Students are encouraged to attend speaker sessions, workshops and pitch competitions, either in person or virtually.

Penn State alum Haley McClain Hill, who recently secured a deal with Lori Greiner on ABC’s Shark Tank, will share her startup success story during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC. 

Penn State Wilkes-Barre and its LaunchBox are supporting entrepreneurship beginning at the high school level through programming and partnerships in the region. This year’s Teen Entrepreneurial Challenge includes five sessions of business mentoring and coaching, led by Penn State entrepreneurship educators and local small-business leaders.

Penn State doctoral candidate Arash Emdadi and his lab mates are working to improve the hydrogen production method to make it more cost effective and environmentally friendly. Emdadi recently took the concept through the Invent Penn State regional NSF I-Corps short course program, which helps researchers gain valuable insight into entrepreneurship and develop valuable skills in connecting with customers.

Six Penn State student startups have been selected as finalists in Invent Penn State’s Inc.U Competition. Each team will compete for a $30,000 cash investment pool in a pitch competition during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC. Register to attend the live taping of the Inc.U Competition from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 16.

Do you need a website, logo design, or help with social media? Want to upgrade your e-commerce game? Apply for the Craft It, Pitch It, Win It competition by March 10 for a chance to win up to $10,000 in prize money.

Since its inception, Berks LaunchBox has made a significant impact on the Berks County community. Over the last five years, Berks LaunchBox has assisted 582 entrepreneurs, taught new skills to 1,100 community members in its Makerspace, offered entrepreneurship classes to 3,800 community members, and impacted 1,042 students (elementary school through college). 

Student startup teams from all Penn State campuses, including World Campus, are invited to apply to the 2024 Invent Penn State Summer Founders Program to receive a $15,000 grant to work on their startup, social good venture, or nonprofit over the summer.

Penn State’s NSF I-Corps Short Course is accepting applications for its virtual March cohort. The no-cost program helps researchers test a startup idea through customer interviews and educational programming on the lean startup methodology.