news & events

AI workshop highlights real-world tools for small businesses

Small business owners, entrepreneurs, students and community members gathered at Penn State Lehigh Valley on March 27 for a hands-on workshop exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used to strengthen business strategy, improve decision-making and expand capacity for small teams. Hosted by the Lehigh Valley LaunchBox, the program, “AI for Your Business,” featured Brad Zdenek, director of economic development and student programs with Invent Penn State, who provided practical insights into how AI is reshaping the way organizations operate. Zdenek emphasized that while artificial intelligence will change the workforce, it should be viewed as a tool for empowerment rather than replacement....

Forensic handwriting expert speaks at Global Entrepreneurship Event

Penn State Lehigh Valley Launchbox welcomed world-renowned expert Beverley East to discuss how handwritten evidence and AI are shaping modern investigations and communication Speaker Beverley East with Penn State Lehigh Valley Chancellor Tina Richardson. Credit: Ryan Abramson. All Rights Reserved. November 18, 2025 By Ryan Abramson CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Penn State Lehigh Valley’s LaunchBox welcomed internationally acclaimed, forensic handwriting expert Beverley East on Nov. 17 for an evening event that brought together small business owners, entrepreneurs, students and law enforcement professionals. Held in the Nittany Lion Café, the program explored how handwriting continues to reveal truth and identity in an increasingly digital world. In her...

Author and entrepreneur Greg Vetter speaks at Lehigh Valley LaunchBox event

  By Sara Karnish CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — In a recent presentation to the Lehigh Valley LaunchBox audience, Greg Vetter, an author, entrepreneur, innovator and investor, shared stories of the challenges and triumphs he faced throughout his entrepreneurial career. Vetter co-founded a leading company in the clean food movement alongside his two brothers, Matt and Brian. The company, Tessemae’s, served as the leading producer of the former Number One organic salad dressing brand in the refrigerated space. Inspired by his mother’s homemade salad dressing recipe, Greg said, Tessemae’s paved the way for large-scale clean manufacturing in only 5 years, with the invention...

Lehigh Valley LaunchBox Ladies hold third annual pitch competition

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — A health and wellness practitioner and her business won the third annual Penn State Lehigh Valley LaunchBox Ladies’ pitch competition, held at the Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) campus on June 25. Lehigh Valley LaunchBox is an organization that supports early-stage entrepreneurs through mentorship, resources and community-building events, as part of a statewide initiative by Invent Penn State. Yuliya Semenovych, owner of Elixir Health and Wellness in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, claimed the $2,500 grand prize. Elixir Health and Wellness offers services for people to "age backwards" using non-invasive technology and Eastern European protocols. Donna Tomlin, owner of PS It’s...

Penn State alum, Shark Tank winner speaks at Lehigh Valley’s LaunchBox Ladies

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Haley Marie McClain Hill is an entrepreneur, Air Force veteran and former NFL cheerleader. But before she was any of those things, McClain Hill was a Penn State student. McClain Hill shared stories from her own incredible personal and professional journey during a recent presentation to Penn State Lehigh Valley’s LaunchBox Ladies. Drawing on her own inner fortitude and inspired by her strong-willed grandmother, McClain Hill attended Penn State, where she majored in mathematics and joined ROTC. Her military service served as a springboard for her civilian career, she said. Recognizing a need for more form-fitting...