Success Story

  • 2022 FastTrack Accelerator startup founders

4 startups graduate from Happy Valley LaunchBox FastTrack Accelerator

Four startups founded by Penn State students and community entrepreneurs graduated from the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank FastTrack Accelerator this April. FastTrack Accelerator, a 15-week program, helps early-stage startups refine and test their target markets and build actionable plans to acquire customers or expand their businesses.

“We had an excellent group of startups graduate our FastTrack Accelerator program,” said Jason Huber, Happy Valley LaunchBox entrepreneurial cog connector. “Participating teams worked to create a formal business entity, craft a unique value proposition, and develop a marketing and sales plan for their startups.”

Below are the graduating startups:

  • Cannapy Tents, which produces modular, pop-up greenhouse tents for specialty breeders to control production conditions for maintaining and developing new varieties. The startup is founded by David Moyer, a third-year computer science student in the College of Engineering.
  • Happy Valley Song Lab, a micro-label for musicians who want to move through creative plateaus. With professional gear, artist coaching, branding services, and release strategy for music, it provides support from beginning to end. The startup is founded by community entrepreneur Angel Mariotti.
  • My Moon Storytelling, which creates digital, interactive stories with educational purposes in multiple languages for children with the goal to make information and learning more accessible. The startup is founded by Munire Bozdemir, who designed and taught classes at the Intensive English and Communication Program at Penn State from August 2018-21.
  • PA Wedding Venues, LLC, an online venue and vendor directory listing site representing businesses within the wedding industry across Pennsylvania. The startup is founded by Hannah Wolf, a 2017 Penn State alumnae with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and sciences from the College of the Liberal Arts.

“FastTrack Accelerator took us from this idea in our minds to testing it in the market with smokescreen advertising,” Moyer said. “They taught us how to improve our website, double-down on customer discovery, start talking to people and bring our product to market. Our idea is closer to becoming a sustainable business.”

Through the no-cost program, founders retained all rights to their ideas. Participating startups also received access to LaunchBox’s network of 60-plus advisors and $3,000 in funding for customer discovery through the NSF I-Corps program. Teams also benefited from 1-on-1 weekly mentoring sessions with experienced entrepreneurs and mentors at the Penn State Innovation Hub.

Applications for the 2022-23 FastTrack Accelerator program will open this fall.

About Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank

Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank provides early-stage startups with support and resources they need to build a sustainable and scalable business and a viable plan for growth. No-cost programs and services include coworking space, accelerator programs, legal and intellectual property advice, and expert mentorships from Penn State’s extensive network. LaunchBox is open to everyone – community members and those affiliated with Penn State. Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank is a signature program of the Invent Penn State initiative and one of 21 innovation spaces located in Penn State campus communities across Pennsylvania.