Penn State-backed Berks LaunchBox recently awarded six startups “Grow Your Startup Grants,” which provide entrepreneurs participating in the Berks LaunchBox program with $500 for needs they identify. Startup needs could include manpower to help with prototyping, marketing, design, or enrollment in educational conferences and training sessions. These grants are funded by a grant awarded to Invent Penn State by the Penn State Office of Community and Economic Development.
The grants will connect entrepreneurs with “talent partners” who will provide expertise to help develop their startups. The funds will also cover the costs of educational conferences and training programs in the entrepreneurs’ industries, helping them gain the critical knowledge they need to grow their startups. Each winning entrepreneur will pay additional funds from their own pocket to supplement the grant to achieve their goals. The winners are:
Cory Dahlia Varona-Corniel and Nicol Varona Cancelmo of OCOA Beauty (Penn State Berks graduates): OCOA, a line of clean, premium hair care products for curly and wavy hair, was co-founded by Dominican sisters and Penn State Berks business graduates Corey Dahlia Varona Corniel, Class of 2011, and Nicole Varona Cancelmo, Class of 2013. Their mission is to redefine how curly hair products are made and how women feel in them. The sisters plan to use the grant to hire a Penn State intern and expand their marketing.
Karen Tripolitis, Mindful Roots Children, LLC: Mindful Roots Children provides school staff with the training they need to teach elementary school students a daily 10-minute program designed to enhance social-emotional learning and create a peaceful learning environment. Tripolitis plans to use her funds to enhance the program by hiring artists, graphic designers and a company that will create educational activity card decks.
Nathan Bonslaver of CarToCamp (Penn State Berks alumnus): CarToCamp designs, manufactures and sells adjustable car sleeping platforms that are easy to set up and use, and Bonslaver, who is set to graduate in 2022, plans to use the funding to hire an engineering design consultant to help him finalize an update to his product line.
Talonda Rogers of The Fourth Trimester MAHMEE: Fourth Trimester Marmee is a nonprofit that helps pregnant and postpartum women by providing support, counseling, education and other maternity care services. Rogers plans to use the money to hire a consultant to provide marketing support and help with fundraising strategies.
Tom Wentling, WarrantyClick Inc.: WarrantyClick helps reduce product liability by streamlining the warranty registration and claims process for manufacturers through its app, and Wentling plans to use the funding to hire a UX improvement expert to review the application and provide feedback.
Vera Hempel and Kuba Kerner from KissUX: Kiss UX is developing an accessible prototyping application for startup product teams, early stage UI/UX designers and developers to transform the app design process into a scalable, repeatable and consistent experience. The platform enables users of all design experience and ability levels to quickly and efficiently transform their app ideas into clickable prototypes. The team will use the funding to further develop the application.
Located in Suite 105 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading, Berks LaunchBox’s mission is to support economic development and entrepreneurship. An innovation hub at Penn State Berks, LaunchBox connects local early-stage entrepreneurs with the support, resources and facilities they need to build sustainable, scalable businesses with a sustainable growth plan.
