Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC
All events are being held virtually and are free and open to the public!
Creative Hustlin’
Sunday, March 21st at 5:00pm
Co-sponsored by the Flemming CEED Center
An immersive event, Creative Hustlin’ serves to better equip creatives for sustainable success by featuring expert speakers who will show them how to align their passions with business. The event will feature a live performance component that uses the transcendent power of music and performance to contrast the speaker sessions while driving home the importance of excellence and confidence.
Preregistration is not required for this event. Click here to learn more!
Sustaining Pennsylvania’s Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Fostering K-12 Innovators
Monday, March 22nd at 12:00pm
Co-sponsored by the Flemming CEED Center
Participants will learn about K-12 entrepreneurship and innovation education, Penn State’s initiatives that foster youth entrepreneurship and leadership, and how to get involved. The 45-minute panel presentation will be followed by an opportunity for participants and presenters to meet up in Gather Town, a virtual environment, where they can continue the conversation.
Participants must register in advance.
Innovation Design Workshop
Monday, March 22nd at 6:00pm
Sponsored by the Flemming CEED Center
Participants will develop a minimum viable product and learn structured techniques for innovating a product or service and evaluating it for a free pre-prototype. Working alone or in a team, attendees will apply Idea Space techniques to improve the experience of online learning. Participants will have one minute to pitch their innovation, and the audience will vote for their favorite. Then, one of de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats will be applied to suggest improvements to the audience’s chosen design. Attendees will receive a takeaway worksheet that summarizes the innovation techniques. This workshop will be facilitated by Sarah Hartman-Caverly, Penn State Berks Thun Library reference and instruction librarian.
Preregistration is not required for this event. Click here to learn more!
The Future is Female
Monday, March 22nd at 7:15pm
Moderator: Lee Erickson, Chief Amplifier, Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank
Melissa Schipke Marzano ’09, Founder, Tassl
Jess Weiner ’95, Cultural Expert + Educator + Speaker + CEO, Talk to Jess
Today, the United States has 12.3 million women-owned businesses that accounts for 40% of businesses nationwide, with women of color starting the majority of new businesses daily. To put it plainly, women are starting businesses in droves and remain a driving force in the nation’s economy. However, those feel good numbers do little to tell the larger story of the hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship, especially in comparison to their male counterparts.
Join us for a panel discussion featuring successful female entrepreneurs with differing backgrounds and varied expertise. These women know what it takes to blaze a trail and have a track record of success that speaks for itself. In the wise words of Queen Bey, “Who run the world? Girls,” and they’re not stopping anytime soon.
Preregistration is not required for this event. The Zoom link will be provided closer to the event date. More details can be found HERE.
Six Degrees of Penn State
Tuesday, March 23rd at 6:00pm
Moderator: Robert E. Morgan ’89, Founder & CEO, Talaria Media
JT Marino ’09, Chief Disruption officer of Serta Simmons Bedding, Co-founder of Tuft & Needle
Hunter Swisher ’16, Founder & CEO, Phospholutions, Inc.
With over 700,000 Penn State alumni alive today, the Penn State degree becomes a calling card for people around the world. Six degrees of separation is a given for most Penn Staters – if you are one, you know one. No matter where you are, a fellow Penn Stater is not far away.
This is especially true throughout the entrepreneurial journeys of two successful Penn State alumni entrepreneurs, Hunter Swisher and JT Marino. Both leveraged their Penn State connections and were able to identify a need within their respective fields to disrupt the status quo. Join Hunter and JT, with moderator Bob Morgan, another successful Penn State alumni entrepreneur in his own right, as they talk more about how their time at Penn State helped prepare them for where they are today.
Preregistration is not required for this event. The Zoom link will be provided closer to the event date. More details can be found HERE.
Innovation and Intrapreneurship (I2) in the 21st Century
Tuesday, March 23rd at 7pm
Darrell Alston, Owner and CEO of Bungee Brand
Daniel E. Goldberg, Ed.D. Founder of the For Eyes and Academic Director of the Business Management BBA Program, Fox School of Business, Temple University
The panel discussion is hosted by the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Center, and it is part of the 2021 Spring Entrepreneurship Speaker Series. Please REGISTER>>
App Development Roundtable
Wednesday, March 24th at 12:15pm
Donna DeMarco, Co-Founder Viddler, Inc., Interactive Video Hosting, & Kutztown Univ. Computer Science Professor
Terry McKim, Founder Tippy, Salan Tipping App
Bala Peterson, Senior Staff Engineer Lead for HBOMAX, Warner Media, Founder CastandCrew.io
Mark Viglione, Founder Enigma Networkz, Cybersecurity Software as a Service (SAAS)
Do you have an idea to build an app? It can be an intimidating and expensive road ahead. Learn important considerations for building a prototype and gain insights from entrepreneur’s experiences before you take that next step.
- The need and benefit of prototyping and defining your goals for a prototype
- Looking for a developer? What are important things to consider, places to look, criteria to consider, and questions to ask?
- How to create a balanced team: PRODUCT (What are we building), PROJECT (When are we building), & DEVELOPMENT (How are we building)
- Learn from founders who are selling their apps: successes, failures, and lessons learned along the way!
Please REGISTER>>
Forum of Women Entrepreneurs
Wednesday, March 24th at 7:00pm
This event will be offered in Spanish only. Motivational business and networking event in order to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and business development of female entrepreneurs and owners of micro, small and medium-sized companies nationally and internationally.
Motivational networking event for women entrepreneurs and businesswomen who seek to relate, become visible and grow.
In order to promote the entrepreneurial spirit and the development of entrepreneurs and owners of micro, small and medium-sized companies nationally and internationally, for March 24, 2021, we have planned to hold the 15th version, of the motivational business and networking event entitled Foro de Mujeres Emprendedoras (FME), in virtual mode organized by Nace un Emprendedor since 2013. After some 100 events held constantly, we know how impressive this type of event can be. Our main purpose is for the entrepreneurship community to be edified, trained and inspired to take action. This event has been held in both the Dominican Republic and Venezuela and has reached an international audience through Virtuality. In general, it is carried out with alliances with prestigious institutions from various market sectors.
Please REGISTER>>
Beyond the Bottom Line: What’s a Social Enterprise?
Friday, March 26rd at 12:15pm
Sarah Payne, Impact Consulting Manager, ASSETS
Adis Ozuna, Dominican Access, General Manager; Vice President of the Iberoamerican Network for Accessible Tourism ; President of Society of Architects from Dominican Republic
Jennie Groff, co-owner and CEO, Stroopies, Inc.
Learn what it means to be a triple-bottom line business, and the intersection of social entrepreneurship and certified Benefit Corporations.
An increasing number of businesses exist not only to turn a profit, but to address a social or environmental mission. Learn what it means to be a triple-bottom line business, and the intersection of social entrepreneurship and certified Benefit Corporations. We’ll hear examples from two social enterprises, one local and one international, and learn the process for becoming a certified B Corp.
Please REGISTER>>
More events will be added soon!