The Ben Franklin TechCelerator@Altoona is now Accepting Applications!

If you have a new, tech-based business idea, you’ll want to check out this program! As an important part of the Startup Alleghenies initiative, the Ben Franklin TechCelerator@Altoona will begin providing weekly business startup boot camps and 1-on-1 mentoring sessions that target emerging tech-entrepreneurs from the surrounding community. These eight-week sessions will be held in the Ben Franklin Board Room in Catalyst Space, 1331 12th Avenue, Altoona, PA, from 10:00 a.m. – noon, plus weekly 1-on-1 sessions. Classes will start January 23, 2018, and run for the next eight consecutive Tuesdays ending on March 13, 2018.

The boot camps are free of charge, but space is limited. Contact Jerry Hudson at 814-242-3034 or jrh498@psu.edu. For more information, visit http:// https://cnp.benfranklin.org/techcelerator-at-altoona

Business mentoring from Ben Franklin’s Transformation Business Services Network and the area’s local economic development and startup experts will be available at no cost. General topics to be discussed over the eight weeks include customer discovery, business and revenue models, value propositions, legal issues, and cost structures to name just a few. You’ll come away from this experience with a viable business plan as well as a list of networking contacts and a path forward. But, perhaps the most important thing you will gain is the confidence that comes from knowing if it’s the right time for you to start your own tech-business – or not.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity! You will get the chance to pitch your business idea to a panel of judges at the completion of the course. If you win, you will receive $10,000 in seed funding to help get your startup up and running.


 

Sheetz Fellows Team Up With Winter Plunge

The sophomore class of Sheetz Fellows has been working with the Penn State Altoona Alumni Society during the fall semester to gain real world project management experience.  The students have been working on a social media marketing campaign and event logistics the 2018 Winter Plunge.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Penn State Altoona 2018 Winter Plunge, scheduled for Jan. 28, has been canceled. Though the event is canceled, all funds raised for the Winter Plunge will still support our two causes: Penn State Altoona Benefiting THON and the Penn State Altoona Alumni Society’s scholarship program.

Gifts can still be made in support of the Winter Plunge through FirstGiving or by calling the Office of Development and Alumni Relations 814-949-5655.


Congratulations Graduates!

Congratulations to Jacob Byers, Zane Helsley, and Eric Maholtz on graduating as Sheetz Fellows on December 9, 2017. The three had a pre-graduation dinner with Steve and Nancy Sheetz, Chancellor and Dean Dr. Lori J. Bechtel-Wherry, Professor Donna Bon, and their families. At that time, they were presented with their Sheetz Fellows medallions to wear during the graduation ceremonies.


Trading Club Winners!

By participating in the Trading Club, Penn State Altoona students have the opportunity to experience the excitement of managing an investment portfolio on a virtual trading platform. The experience is true to life, and allows students to gain a competitive edge in understanding the intricacies of finance and how global markets function. Students trade stocks, bonds, mutual funds, options, and futures and spot contracts for world currencies and commodities on more than 20 global exchanges, based on real-time data.

The first place winner in the fall semester’s competition was Ryan Yanulevich. He had a return of 375% over a contest period of 12 weeks and outperformed 25 other active traders. Ryan is a freshman and an aspiring finance student from Royersford, PA. He also won the first ever day-trading competition during the fall semester. The competition is coordinated by the Student Investment Club of Penn State Altoona. For the first time, the club will be competing the Bloomberg Trading Challenge in the spring.

YEA! at The Chamber’s Roundtable

One of the most hard-hitting sessions of the Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) experience is the CEO Roundtable, which brought a panel of five business leaders together to share their backgrounds and insights with YEA! class members. The Roundtable event was held on January 4 at the Devorris Downtown Center. Community members also attended. The CEO panel members included Steve Foreman of M&T Bank, Cathy Griffith of The Griffith Family Foundation, Scott Lawhead of The Hite Company, Devin Mullen of Your Jewelry Box, and April Ressler of The Teeter Group.

 


Pechter Business Plan Competition

The first phase of the Pechter Business Plan Competition took place at the fall Student Showcase in December. Out of six teams of competitors, four were selected to move on to the next phase: Aaron Wagner, Cristina Ortiz, and Scott Glen with Genesis; Nick Swetkowski, Donovan O’Hearn, and Seth Mason with Uconnect; Hunter Lewis and Sam Evans with Prospect; and Kayla Boucher with Organic Bubble. The competition, established by Penn State Altoona benefactor Shirley Pechter, consists of a four-phase process for students to take ideas from concept through a feasibility study and market analysis to a full business plan. Local business leaders judged the competition and based their evaluations on the feasibility of the proposed businesses, the business overviews, and presentations. The students moving on in the competition will work on their plans in the business incubator throughout the spring semester at The Sheetz Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence, creating detailed descriptions of their business concepts, potential market, and likely competitors. During the spring 2018 Student Showcase, first, second, and third place winners will be selected and receive a monetary award.


Entrepreneur-In-Residence


Caleb Bowser
Estate & Trust Investment Advisor at PNC, Pittsburgh

Penn State Altoona students had the opportunity to meet with Sheetz Fellow alum Caleb Bowser in December. The EIR program provides students with opportunities to expand their network and get immediate feedback on their ventures or entrepreneurial career goals and aspirations.