“A Hub for Innovators to Imagine and Pursue Ideas” Set Up Phospholutions for Growth & Expansion
“Something special is happening in Happy Valley,” Hunter Swisher, founder and CEO of Phospholutions, says. “Since the inception of Invent PSU, and thanks to the numerous members of the community that [prior to Invent PSU] were engaging and supporting startups, State College has now become a hub for innovators to imagine and pursue their ideas,” […]
Disrupting the Med School Model with Data-Driven Teaching & Learning
REEL Aims to Disrupt Med School Model Ray Robinson thinks the med school model is in need of disruption because even the best doctors aren’t always effective educators. His company Regenerative Education Evolution Lab (REEL) wants to change that, with a learning management system that helps medical students learn material faster and track weekly progress, […]
Revolutionary reinvention of hardwood flooring poised to take off
The first time I met the Steller Floors team, they were looking for a new home for their quickly growing business. It was in those heady days before COVID restrictions, at an after-hours entrepreneurial meetup in a coffee shop, where the business ideas ranged from kombucha to farm-fresh ice cream to a regional magazine. After growing from four […]
Invent Penn State Innovation Hub Set to Open October 2021
A six-story, state-of-the-art, multi-use home for innovation is set to open in October 2021 in downtown State College. Invent Penn State’s newest Innovation Hub will serve as the cornerstone of Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Innovation Hub will provide the Happy Valley community access to high-end physical and digital making resources as well as offer […]
“Kudos to the Great Crazy Ideas that Change People’s Lives” – CREN Makes Magic with First Return Event
There’s something magical about meeting in person. Especially when it’s a meetup that includes “free beer, free food and free money,” as Todd Erdley puts it. On August 5, Centre Region Entrepreneur Network (CREN) met up after a long COVID-induced hiatus. Gathering outside Ben Franklin Technology Partners(BFTP/CNP) offices in Innovation Park, over 100 entrepreneurs celebrated […]
Join 100 of Your Entrepreneurial Friends!
Centre Region Entrepreneurial Network (CREN) is back to face-to-face meetings this week and you still have time to RSVP! Join 100 of your entrepreneurial friends from around Happy Valley for an evening of networking, collaboration and fun, Aug. 5, 5–7:30 p.m. The long-awaited in-person event will take place at the Ben Franklin Technology Partners offices […]
From Startup to Global Leader in Educational Technology: The Schoolwires Success Story
Edward Marflak founded Schoolwires in 2000 with the mission to serve schools with a solution for managing and sharing information with students and families. Ben Franklin Technology Partners, part of Happy Valley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, provided support that helped the company develop from fledgling educational platform to global content management system used by more than 1,700 […]
PennTAP’s Inc.U Competition Fans the Flames of Undergraduate Entrepreneurship
With a $30,000 prize on the line, six student startup teams went head-to-head in this year’s Inc.U Competition, competing on WPSU’s show, “The Investment.” Much like the show it’s modeled after, “Shark Tank,” the show and the competition give participants hope to fuel their entrepreneurial dreams and valuable experience pitching their ideas to the panel […]
Penn State’s Innovation Hub Celebrates 5 Years of Supporting the Entrepreneurial Spirit Throughout Pennsylvania
Happy Valley is synonymous with a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem — one that’s branched out to support Pennsylvania entrepreneurs in other regions of the Keystone State as well. Today, nearly all Pennsylvania residents live or work within a half-hour drive of a LaunchBox or Innovation Hub — 96% of Pennsylvanians to be exact — both of […]
