University Park

Boot Camp to offer advice for tech entrepreneurs

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Ben Franklin TechCelerator @ State College is looking for budding tech-based entrepreneurs to fill vacant seats in its upcoming eight-week Boot Camp Training Program for business start-ups. The program requires a time commitment of 90 minutes per week on eight successive Tuesdays, beginning from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 23.

During Boot Camp, attendees will hear from successful entrepreneurs, business support professionals, and private and institutional investors on how to develop a solid, fundable business plan. The program aims to present best practices, lessons-learned and a comprehensive toolbox for those looking to start a tech business.

Space is limited. Those chosen to participate will have the chance to compete for $10,000 to help get their business off the ground. Business mentoring from Ben Franklin’s Transformation Business Services Network and Penn State’s Small Business Development Center staff will be available at no cost.

Last year’s winners of the top $10,000 prize were CEO Lin Wang and CTO Tony Jun Huang of Ascent Bio-Nano Technologies LLC. The company's technology has been featured in a variety of publications such as Science Daily, Advanced Materials and the Journal of Physical Chemistry. Ascent has developed a chip that can produce three-dimensional focusing of a stream of cells – making it possible for inexpensive portable devices to rapidly screen cells for diseases such as leukemia or HIV. Lin Wang, who holds master’s degrees from Duke and Harvard, and Huang, an associate professor at Penn State, have filed for seven U.S. patents, been awarded two invention disclosures and attracted significant interest from two industry leaders regarding possible business collaborations.

To receive a one-page application for the program, contact Don McCandless at 814-865-2040 or dlm74@psu.ed.

About the TechCelerator @ State College

Located in the Technology Center at 200 Innovation Blvd. in State College, the TechCelerator @ State College is a partnership among several of the area’s economic development providers that offers budding entrepreneurs designated space, loan and investment programs, business support and mentoring services, and entrepreneurial training in one location. For more information, go to http://www.techceleratorstatecollege.org.

About Ben Franklin Technology Partners

Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, provides operational assistance, entrepreneurial support and investment capital to emerging tech-based companies and small, existing manufacturers for the purpose of creating and retaining jobs in Pennsylvania.
 

Last Updated October 8, 2012

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