LaunchBox opens at Pennsylvania College of Technology

Pennsylvania College of Technology has officially opened the doors to a collaboration space designed to empower entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into action.

Williamsport LaunchBox supported by Ken and Kristie Healy has become the 24th innovation space in the Invent Penn State LaunchBox & Innovation Network, a project that spans the state within campus communities to provide a wide array of low- to no-cost resources to innovators and startups. The office, located in the Carl Building Technologies Center, 1031 W. Third St., Room 150, opened to Penn College students, faculty, staff and the public on Oct. 20, and a ceremony was held to dedicate the space on Nov. 6.  

Elected officials, members of the Penn College Board of Directors and project partners gathered at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant before exploring the LaunchBox space. 

As a special mission affiliate of Penn State, President Michael J. Reed said the project allows the college to step into a dynamic season of innovation.

“Through the Invent Penn State initiative – supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development – Penn College is poised to advance regional economic vitality and innovation,” he said. “The LaunchBox & Innovation Network is a statewide economic development engine, supporting entrepreneurs and startups through no-cost resources like collaboration space, prototyping tools, business mentorship and access to capital.”

The greater network, he added, has engaged more than 24,000 students and faculty and over 8,300 entrepreneurs, resulting in 770 internships and 708 jobs created around the state.

Richard P. Vilello Jr., deputy secretary of community affairs and development for the DCED, shared with attendees that the opening of LaunchBoxes across the state are part of a strategic vision that connects colleges and universities to community and economic development.

“We often hear about population loss, brain drain and other challenges; some of the things we need to think about are solutions,” Vilello said. “LaunchBoxes are a perfect tool for community development and economic development.”

When students and community members start small businesses and get other people involved, they’re more likely to stay because they have made an investment where they are, Vilello added.

“The DCED celebrates huge projects, but we sometimes forget about the small ball and what singles, doubles and triples can mean in economic development,” he said. “It’s the entrepreneurship that can be created in the LaunchBox. It’s good for Williamsport, it’s good for PA and it’s good for Pennsylvania College of Technology.”

Anthony J. Pace, vice president for enrollment & academic operations, said the college had been exploring the idea of a LaunchBox with its partners at Penn State for quite a while. The generous financial and operational support from donors, including the Ken and Kristie Healy Foundation, Barbara B. Hudock, and Paul and Tom Kerr, and campus resources allowed the idea to become reality.

“Ken and Kristie have a long history of empowering our innovative students,” Reed said. “They have created the Healy Foundation Scholarship and provided generous funding to renovate a space in the Larry A. Ward Machining Technologies Center for the Penn College Baja SAE team to thrive.”

Ken Healy, executive vice president and director of engineering at PMF Industries Inc., is a 2001 graduate of the college’s manufacturing engineering technology program and a member of the Penn College Foundation Board of Directors and the newly created President’s Leadership Council. The Healys are well known throughout the community for their volunteer efforts. Kristie, who is a human resource administrator at Woolrich Inc., is the chairman of the Hope Enterprises Foundation Inc. Board of Directors. She can often be found serving as a mentor in the Center for Career Design or in the baking labs as she pursues a certificate in professional baking.

Kristie said it was difficult, at first, to imagine the concept of the LaunchBox when Loni N. Kline, senior vice president for college relations, and Kimberly R. Cassel, director of college relations, first took the couple to the empty area that was being considered for the project. She and Ken understood the idea, but they questioned the impact a LaunchBox could have. On two separate occasions following that meeting – one at a friend’s new coffee shop opening and another in conversation with a fellow student – Kristie was told about the challenges facing those who are interested in starting a business, including a lack of resources and assistance. That was all it took to convince them, and the couple has played an integral role in creating a solution for all business-minded people.

“Where else would you want to put an innovation center?” Ken asked. “This is where it starts. Young entrepreneurs can come to a judgement-free zone with ideas and to talk about business development. We can’t imagine a better place than Penn College.”

In addition to support from the Healys, the Entrepreneur Tech Fund, generously supported by Barbara B. Hudock, CEO and founding partner of Hudock Capital Group LLC, will provide annual funds for operations to power innovation, mentorship and business development.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our donors,” said Brenda A. Wiegand, director of academic operations. “Their philanthropic contributions took Williamsport LaunchBox from an idea to an innovative collaboration space designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed.”

Each innovation space is designed to serve the community in which it is located, said Erin S. Shultz, manager of Williamsport LaunchBox operations.

“Programming, services and resources are tailored to meet the unique needs of our diverse communities throughout Pennsylvania,” she said. “I feel Williamsport LaunchBox will bring people with diverse skills and perspectives – entrepreneurs, makers, business owners, students, faculty, staff and community partners – to learn from one another and collaborate on real-world solutions.”

At little to no cost, an entrepreneur, student or small businesses owner can utilize the space’s resources and programs to accomplish a variety of critical steps in the business cycle – from use of the Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College, the conference room and several 3D printers, to exploring startup accelerator programs, legal and intellectual property resources, entrepreneurial/small business workshops, and an expert speaker series.

Williamsport LaunchBox is open by appointment on Mondays and Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. For more information, call 570-320-2400 or e-mail launchbox@pct.edu.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.