Lehigh Valley

'LaunchBox Ladies: From Passion to Profit' September event announced

'Women in Sports and Beyond' is topic of Sept. 26 program at Penn State Lehigh Valley

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Lehigh Valley LaunchBox (LVLB) continues its educational event series focusing on the unique challenges and victories of female entrepreneurs called “LaunchBox Ladies: From Passion to Profit” with a program on Thursday, Sept. 26. The topic of the program is "Women in Sports and Beyond," and the speakers will share how their sports accomplishments have led to achievements beyond their athletic disciplines.

A donation will be requested at the door. The event is open to students and the public on a limited first-come, first-served basis. Networking and the program are from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Penn State Lehigh Valley campus. Light fare is provided.

The September event features the following speakers:

Joetta Clark Credit: Joetta ClarkAll Rights Reserved.

Joetta Clark
Motivational speaker, four-time Olympian and respected businesswoman

Clark is one of the most highly sought-after motivational speakers, a four-time Olympian, and a respected businesswoman. She represented the United States at the 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games; is president of Joetta Sports & Beyond LLC; and established a sports foundation. She has a perfume line, is the author of “Joetta’s “P” Principles for Success: Life Lessons Learned from Track & Field,” has made appearances on noted television and radio programs, and is an advocate for health and fitness initiatives. Clark’s career honors include induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2013), the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame (2009), and the University of Tennessee Hall of Fame (2001).  

Mandy Marquardt Credit: Mandy MarquardtAll Rights Reserved.

Mandy Marquardt (class of 2014)
Track sprint cyclist for Team Novo Nordisk and the USA Cycling National Team

Marquardt is a track sprint cyclist for Team Novo Nordisk and the USA Cycling National Team. She is an 18-time U.S. national champion, two-time American record-holder, and 2020 Olympic hopeful.

Marquardt graduated from Penn State Lehigh Valley in 2014 with a bachelor of science degree in business management and marketing. She has been racing for USA Cycling since graduation and competes in international events, such as the Pan American Championships, World Cups and the World Championships.

When she’s not racing for Team USA, Marquardt is racing for Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team. She is living with type 1 diabetes. She races because it is her passion and inspires, educates and empowers people affected by diabetes.

To register, visit the LaunchBox Ladies website. For more information on LaunchBox Ladies, email LVLaunchBox@psu.edu or call 610-285-5208.

Lehigh Valley LaunchBox is an early-stage business accelerator program for entrepreneurs. As a signature program of Invent Penn State, LVLB partners with a network of community and university partners to offer continuing support to small-business owners and guides them through every step of their startup journey.

Information regarding the Invent Penn State initiative is available online.

Last Updated September 3, 2019

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