Marching like a Nittany LION into Spring with LaunchBox programing.

  • Invent Penn State Start Up Week  –

    • Each spring, Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC brings together Penn State student and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators for a week long entrepreneurship immersion and celebration of the magic that happens when Penn State’s doers put their great ideas into action. This year, Startup Week will feature even more exciting keynote speakers and change makers, entrepreneurial workshops, pitch competitions, access to entrepreneurship resources, and networking!
    • https://startupweek.psu.edu/event-details/schedule/
  • Customer Discovery 101
    • Customer discovery helps you de-risk your startup process. It asks you to identify and test your core business assumptions, so you can adjust your plan before you invest your money, effort and time into building a business.
    • Acting on assumptions that haven’t been validated creates unnecessary risk. By taking the time to validate your assumptions, you can reduce risk and increase your chances of identifying a solution that customers actually want.
    • Interested in participating? Contact lvlaunchbox@psu.edu
  •  LaunchBox Ladies April event

    • Preparing for your pitch
    • April 17, 2024
    • 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
  • LaunchBox Ladies Ambassador Circle event
    • Featuring Susan Yee, CEO Active Data
    • May 14, 2024 @ 4:30 pm
  • Second Annual LaunchBox Ladies Pitch Competition
    • Event to take place June 26, 2024
    • Applications to pitch to open April 1, 2024
  • July 28 – August 3 – Teen Entrepreneurship Camp

 

Inspire Ideas, Empower Solutions, & Support Growth

Free help from the first day of your new idea, through growing your company and any day in-between.

About LaunchBox - The Innovation Space For The Lehigh Valley

We offer 5 entrepreneurial programs and dozens of resources that are available free to all PA residents or businesses. Located at the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus in Center Valley, we connect Lehigh Valley entrepreneurs to the support, resources, and facilities they need to build a sustainable and scalable business with a viable plan for growth. By centralizing our no-cost services, we help entrepreneurs avoid the common mistakes startups often face and enable them to focus their time on growing their business.

 

More About LaunchBox

Our Programs

 

  • Brainstorm with LaunchBox: One-hour introductory session that offers immediate support for your idea.
  • Idea TestLab: Four-week accelerator course to test your idea, identify your customers and frame your pitch.
  • LaunchBox Ladies: Speaker series hosted by women in business for women in business; events open to all.
    •  LaunchBox Ladies April event

      • Preparing for your pitch
      • April 17, 2024
      • 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
    • LaunchBox Ladies Ambassador Circle event
      • Featuring Susan Yee, CEO Active Data
      • May 14, 2024 @ 4:30 pm
    • Second Annual LaunchBox Ladies Pitch Competition
      • Event to take place June 26, 2024
      • Applications to pitch to open April 1, 2024
  • Masterminds: Monthly seminars for business owners, with timely topics and peer-to-peer networking.
  • Teen Entrepreneur Challenge: One-week residential summer camp for high school students.
    • Applications are now being accepted for the 2024 Teen Entrepreneur Challenge
      • July 28 – August 3, 2024

Coworking Space

Lehigh Valley LaunchBox microgrant recipients have access to coworking space at Velocity in downtown Allentown.

Find an inviting space to work or book a conference room or training room. You will also find 24-7 access to the building, wi-fi, a kitchenette, and a lounge.

Penn State Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic

Provides a variety of free legal services related to startups.

Penn State Law Intellectual Property Clinic

Provides entrepreneurs free assistance to determine if they have intellectual property and how to protect it.

news & events

‘Magical experience’: Christmas City Santa to open Bethlehem store dedicated to ‘all things Christmas’
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A festive retail destination – filled with hand-crafted nutcrackers, Christmas tree ornaments, retired reindeer bells and other yuletide cheer – is coming soon to the Christmas City. Dear Santa, a business offering unique Christmas gifts and decor...
Idea Test Lab helps Penn State junior gain a following for social media business
A young Justin Leusner would walk around places like Hershey Park and the Wells Fargo Center just like any other kid, looking to enjoy what was around him. People would often recognize him from the YouTube videos he started making...
Making Entrepreneurship Accessible in Rural America
Entrepreneurial ecosystems are complex systems and no one solution will work for everyone. We hope this playbook will spark new ideas and approaches for supporting entrepreneurs in rural areas and in areas where business resources are scarce, and encourage others...

Tools for Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Industry

Our Navigators are built with you in mind. See what Penn State has to offer.

Resource Navigator

The Resource Navigator showcases entrepreneurship and innovation resources in Penn State University communities across Pennsylvania.

IP Navigator

The Intellectual Property Navigator is a showcase of Penn State University’s intellectual property available for licensing.

Startup Navigator

The Startup Navigator is a showcase of startups with Penn State DNA.

74
Startups
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Awards
800+
LaunchBox Ladies Participants
1.6
Million+ PA Jobs Supported by Retail