news & events

August 10, 2026 by Tiffany Valdez-Madera CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — For most high school students, summer break means sleeping in and scrolling through social media. But for 21 teens from seven states, the summer of 2026 meant something different: building a business from scratch, pitching it to a panel of judges, and walking away with the tools, confidence and connections to keep going. The 2026 Teen Entrepreneur Challenge (TEC) Camp, a signature program of the Lehigh Valley LaunchBox powered by Penn State, brought students in grades 10 through 12 to the Penn State Berks campus from July 26 through Aug. 1...

Five female founders compete for funding and mentorship during Penn State Lehigh Valley's fourth annual pitch competition. Penn State Lehigh Valley LaunchBox Ladies Pitch Competition participants: Ali “Amac” McGuire, April Schiel, Virginia Ellen, Lisa Pammer and Donna Boden. Credit: Hope Green Expand June 26, 2026 By Ryan Abramson CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Five women entrepreneurs took the stage at Penn State Lehigh Valley on June 24 to pitch their businesses during the fourth annual LaunchBox Ladies Pitch Competition, an annual event designed to help women founders gain visibility, receive expert feedback and compete for funding to grow their businesses. Hosted...

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....

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 opening remarks, Penn State Lehigh Valley Chancellor Tina Richardson explained to the audience, “Some might think that handwriting expertise is not a typical LaunchBox topic, but that is the nature of entrepreneurship, isn’t it? No topic is ever quite typical. In...

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...