Penn State Berks will host a variety of events during Global Entrepreneurship Week 2024, set for Monday, Nov. 18, to Friday, Nov. 22. Events are sponsored by the college’s Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development Center and the Berks LaunchBox in downtown Reading.
The Berks LaunchBox in partnership with Penn State Berks will host its free 3D Modeling and Printing Workshop for Manufacturing Companies from 3 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Current charging stations for electric vehicles, or EVs, can be expensive to install, and limited in the number of parking spaces they reach. Penn State engineering student Jonathan Smith and his team have spent the last three years creating a possible solution: smaller, mounted charging stations, which can move to cover as many as five parking spaces. As CEO of Streamline Charging, he’s used his Penn State education and customized coursework to get the team’s ideas to market.
According to the 2020 census, the Hispanic and Latino population of the City of Reading is nearly 69%, up from 58% in 2010. To meet the needs of this growing population, Penn State Berks is expanding its efforts to engage with and support the local Hispanic and Latino communities with several new initiatives.
As part of the college’s ongoing efforts to engage with and support the local Hispanic and Latino communities, Penn State Berks will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15–Oct. 15, with a variety of vibrant events, educational presentations and cultural showcases. These events include dynamic speakers, Latin cuisine, music, dancing and much more. All events are free and open to the public and most are held at Penn State Berks, except "Enhance Your Customer Service" with Rosa Julia Parra, which will be held at Centro Hispano Daniel Torres in downtown Reading.
The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently awarded six startup companies with, “Grow Your Startup Grants,” which provide entrepreneurs participating in Berks LaunchBox programs with $500 towards a need they have identified. Startup needs include talent to help with prototyping, marketing and design, or registration for an educational conference or training session. These grants are funded by a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development to Invent Penn State.
Drawing from personal experience, and with support from Berks Launchbox, Rogers created The Fourth Trimester MAHMEE, a startup that advocates for pregnant and postpartum women with the help of support services.
The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State will host a “Rolling in Safety Family Helmet Decorating” workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, and Tuesday, April 30. Both events are free and open to the public.
The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently received a $125,000 grant from the County of Berks. The funding will be used to create microgrants for Berks County entrepreneurs. Of the total grant awarded, $12,000 will be set aside for Penn State Berks student entrepreneurs participating in the college’s Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center Customer Discovery Lab, which will be distributed to awardees in $1,000 increments.
