With the Invent Penn State effort, the University is looking to leverage its locations, expertise, research and technology to foster entrepreneurship across the Commonwealth.
With the June 20 announcement of six more seed grants to Penn State campuses, the Invent Penn State initiative covers 13 locations around the Commonwealth.
An entrepreneurship student discusses his business plan during an elevator pitch competition in fall 2015 at Penn State Harrisburg’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, part of Invent Penn State. The competition was judged by the center’s director and professor of pratice, Kevin Harter.
Penn State New Kensington Chancellor Kevin Snider, foreground, shows Penn State President Eric Barron the vacant store front that will serve as the new home of the University’s Alle-Kiski Economic Generator, part of the Invent Penn State initiative. The announcement of the Alle-Kiski Economic Generator in the former department store is helping to revitalize downtown New Kensington.
Penn State Lehigh Valley students from the race and ethnic relations class taught by Jennifer Parker Talwar spent Feb. 24 at Velocity in downtown Allentown interviewing Lehigh Valley entrepreneurs about global and local business practices, international trajectories, creative capital and work-family visions. This project is a research-based initiative intended to reinvent the classroom in a real world environment while bringing together students, business owners and community partners. This semester, Parker’s class will be utilizing Penn State Lehigh Valley’s co-working space in Velocity for its business accelerator, Lehigh Valley LauncBox, which is a signature program of Invent Penn State.
Entrepreneurs make use of the Happy Valley LaunchBox on June 7, 2016, part of the Invent Penn State Initiative. Located in downtown State College, the Happy Valley LaunchBox features co-working space for entrepreneurs, including large monitors users can hook their laptops to, as well as fast internet connections.
Penn State President Eric J. Barron in the fabric workshop at the Penn State Abington LaunchBox. LaunchBox synthesizes idea lab, maker space, innovation hub, technology springboard, and meet up space for entrepreneurs.
Former Penn State New Kensington student Richard Gilbert, principle telecommunications engineer in the networks and cyber security department at Bombardier Transportation, will be the keynote speaker at the campus' fall commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in the Forum Theatre.
Former Penn State New Kensington alumnus Rich Gilbert, far right, was a panelist for the Alumni Connections program in October. He will be New Kensington's fall 2016 commencement speaker.