MONT ALTO, Pa. ― The Mont Alto LaunchBox, a business incubator funded by a seed grant from Penn State’s Invent Penn State initiative, provides free services and assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs in downtown Chambersburg. The facility is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from noon to 4 p.m.
This fall, three Entrepreneur Workshops will be offered on Thursday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the LaunchBox at 40 North Second Street in Chambersburg. Any aspiring entrepreneur can register to attend at montalto.psu.edu/launchbox/workshops. They include:
- Sept. 27 ― “How to find financing for your business idea,” with Moderator Cheryl Young, Shippensburg Small Business Development Center (SBDC) business consultant; and Panelists Kenneth Hammaker, Community First Fund community lending vice president; Jon Sider, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern Pennsylvania director of second stage capital; Mike Ross, Franklin County Area Development Corporation (FCADC) president; John Rotz, retired banker from First Community Bank of Mercersburg; and Solomon Wheeler, Small Business Administration (SBA) Harrisburg branch manager.
- Oct. 25 — “Intellectual Property (patents, trademarks, copyrights),” by Rachel Herder, Penn State Law assistant professor of clinical law and intellectual property clinic director.
- Nov. 29 — “Business marketing basics: How to get the word out about your business,” by Kristen Joy Laidig, author, entrepreneur, and owner and manager of Toy Box Gifts & Wonder.
In addition to the workshops, the public is also invited to attend the Mont Alto LaunchBox Fall Forum and LION Tank Competition both held at Penn State Mont Alto.
- Fall Forum, Nov. 14 from 12:20 to 1:10 p.m. in the Wiestling Student Center, Penn State’s James L. Delattre, assistant vice president for research and director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, will lead a panel of student entrepreneurs in a discussion about how they are launching their business ideas and plans into the marketplace.
- LION Tank Competition, March 15, 2019 at 6 p.m. in the General Studies Auditorium, competitors will pitch their business ideas in a Shark-tank-like event with the top two receiving mini-grants and gaining access to the Mont Alto LaunchBox facility for one year. Entrepreneurs can submit their business ideas at montalto.psu.edu/launchbox/liontank/apply.
More information about the Mont Alto LaunchBox is available at montalto.psu.edu/launchbox or contact Debra Collins, director of public relations and marketing by email [email protected] or call 717-749-6112.