News
August 04
2025
Penn State Harrisburg hosts innovation accelerator for commonwealth employees
This spring, Penn State Harrisburg’s Department of Continuing Education and the Harrisburg LaunchBox powered by Penn State launched the inaugural cohort of the Permit Accelerator — a 10-week, human-centered, design thinking and innovation program created to help Commonwealth of Pennsylvania employees tackle permitting challenges with fresh, human-centered approaches.
July 30
2025
Penn State Harrisburg student develops phone holder for hospital patients
While working as a nursing assistant, Fan Lin, a recent Penn State Harrisburg graduate, developed the Entertainment Buddy — an assistive phone holder with an integrated wireless charger designed for hospital beds, nursing homes and wheelchairs. Lin has taken full advantage of the broader Invent Penn State entrepreneurial community to bring her idea to life.
July 25
2025
Google Pixel technical program manager Anne Pauley on ‘Dare to Disrupt’ podcast
The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s “Dare to Disrupt” podcast features Anne Pauley, a technical program manager at Google. She currently leads the implementation of world-class manufacturing processes for the Google Pixel smartphone.
July 25
2025
Startup works to detect respiratory illnesses through vocal patterns
Using artificial intelligence-driven pattern recognition, TalkingSick — a startup launched based on research conducted at Penn State — analyzes short voice recordings to detect deviations from a user’s healthy voice baseline. These deviations could signal potential respiratory illnesses before physical symptoms appear. The startup team participated in the U.S. National Science Foundation I-Corps National Teams program in June.
July 23
2025
Berks LaunchBox announces seven new ‘IMAGINE Your Business’ grant recipients
Berks LaunchBox recently announced seven recipients of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.
June 17
2025
State College local grows storytelling business with Happy Valley LaunchBox
State College community member Dawn Ziegerer launched The Great Story Workshop to help leaders and entrepreneurs use storytelling to overcome challenges and become more effective, relatable communicators. To grow her business, Ziegerer connected with Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank.
June 04
2025
Industry Dive co-founders Sean Griffey, Ryan Willumson on ‘Dare to Disrupt’
The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s Dare to Disrupt podcast features Industry Dive co-founders and Penn State alumni Ryan Willumson and Sean Griffey. Industry Dive is a digital media company delivering business news and original analysis through targeted newsletters.
June 04
2025
Industry Dive cofounders Sean Griffey, Ryan Willumson on ‘Dare to Disrupt’
The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s Dare to Disrupt podcast features Industry Dive co-founders and Penn State alumni Ryan Willumson and Sean Griffey. Industry Dive is a digital media company delivering business news and original analysis through targeted newsletters.
June 04
2025
Penn State Small Business Development Center hosts statewide growth conference
The Penn State Small Business Development Center (SBDC) recently hosted the annual Pennsylvania SBDC Growth Conference, bringing together SBDC business consultants from across the state for professional development focused on emerging business trends, technologies and resources.
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