Penn State DuBois to offer small business startup event and entrepreneur panel

DUBOIS, Pa. — In celebration of Startup Week, April 1-5, Penn State DuBois will offer the program, “So You Want to Start a Business." Open to all members of the public, as well as faculty, staff and students, the event is planned for noon until 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 3, in the Hiller Student Union at Penn State DuBois.

The program will feature an introduction to the North Central PA Launchbox by Launchbox Director Bradley Lashinsky. The Launchbox initiative aims to help local companies innovate new technologies and processes, expand their business opportunities, and create growth and increased job opportunities in the area workforce. The initiative is also intended to assist entrepreneurs who want to start a new small business of their own by helping to find resources to get started and to begin growing a small business.

Following the Launchbox program, a panel of local entrepreneurs and resource partners will have an open discussion about what it takes to succeed in operating a business. Panel members include Ree Mitra, co-owner, Aegis Coffee Roasters, DuBois; Ed Tate, owner, Luigi’s Ristorante, DuBois; Herb Bullers Jr., Jefferson County Commission, and owner of Servpro, Brookville Lumber, and Pinecraft Homes; Lindsay Fairman, technical leader and investor, Align Advisors LLC; Jim Chorney, director of the North Central Regional Planning and Development Commission; Aleshia Marshall, business consultant, Clarion Small Business Development Center; and John Siggins, business consultant, Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Penn State Startup Week brings some of the leading minds in entrepreneurship and innovation to Penn State campuses across the Commonwealth. It was founded in 2012 by the College of Information Sciences and Technology as "IST Startup Week." The event was created to celebrate a $400,000 gift from David Rusenko (Penn State IST class of 2007) that advanced IST's commitment to supporting student entrepreneurs. The growth of the event to Penn State Startup Week in 2017 built on this effort to engage nearly every corner of the University.