Entrepreneurship Week 2024 April 8th - April 12th
Entrepreneurship Week is a collaboration of the Kutztown University College of Business, the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center (ELC), and the KU Small Business Development Center (SBDC). This event includes panels, workshops, and presentations that provides students and the local community with insights, strategies and tools from experts to launch or strengthen their business.
TUESDAY - APRIL 9, 2024
YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS PANEL
11am, de Francesco, Room 101
Meet student innovators who are in the process of bringing creative new ideas to life. Panelists will discuss their experiences and provide insight and advice.
Panelists include:
Valerie Deneen: A former software engineer who specialized in developing web-enabled project management software for Fortune 500 companies. Currently, she helps parents connect with their kids through creative projects and play ideas. She is the founder of InnerChildFun.com and her work has been featured on The Daily Buzz, NBC, PBS Parents, and more.
Johan Tejada: A Visual & Performing Arts student and a 3D Environment Artist with a growing client base. Johan also creates Environments tailored and optimized for VR games.
Addy Ober: Owner of Urban Burn & Wick. Addy started when she was 15 years old and has five areas of occupancy, including: Wishing Well Candles and Gifts, Martins Furniture, The Spa at Leola Village, Trellis Market Place, and Black Cat Yoga Studio in Lititz.
Maddie Leigh: Maddie Leigh ASMR has almost 230,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel where she provides a safe space to relax after a tough day, when you need a friend, to feel comforted and welcomed, or just to fall asleep.
WEDNESDAY - APRIL 10, 2024
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PANEL LUNCHEON
12pm - 1:30pm, McFarland Student Union, Room 218
RSVP to cob@kutztown.edu
Panelists include:
Katrin Hillner, Partners in Change
Kerry Lord ('03), Kerry Lord Design
Raven Gabriele ('19), The Raven 96
Jacquelynn Beckers ('91), Thin Cow, Inc.
Katrin Hillner
Katrin Hillner is President & CEO of PCN, a global leader in Managed DNS, DHCP, and IPAM services and recently launched ClearSky DDI™, an as a Service solution that delivers and manages scalable, resilient, and secure DDI services from the cloud. As a WBENC-certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise, PCN also provides staffing, service desk, and security-GRC solutions that complement its core DDI technology offerings to buyers with commitments to diversity spend in their supply chains.
Kerry Lord
Kerry Lord Design is an independent graphic design business with over 20 years of experience in helping people create the perfect logo, brand campaign, publications, and visual marketing, to reach their goals, amplify engagement, and leave their mark. My passion and focus are in higher education, however I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with a wide range of clients, globally, from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses just starting to grow. It is rewarding to take on new challenges and bring fresh perspectives to the design table.
Raven Gabriele '19
Raven was a business management and marketing double major. Now, she’s the restaurant owner of The Raven 96. After working in the restaurant industry since she was 16, she decided it was time to work for herself. Raven was originally, a business management major, but had taken a few marketing classes and really felt that she wanted to explore a degree there as well. With the help and advice from her advisor, Raven was soon a double major and found the encouragement she needed to find her path. Though the job is tiring, it is rewarding. Raven suggests having a solid support system. With the help from her dad and sister (also a KU alum) she is confident in her new adventure. "If you want to be a business owner, find your support system, and you can do it".
FRIDAY - APRIL 12, 2024
SOCIETAL IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY PANEL LUNCHEON
12pm - 1:30pm, Old Main, Georgian Room
RSVP to cob@kutztown.edu
Panelists include:
Alexandra Ingram ('11), Make the Distinction
Keri Neidig ('01), Greater Lehigh Valley Athletics
Silvia Lucci, LUVH Food
Jim Byrnes, Love Ran Red Foundation
Alexandra Ingram
Make the Distinction's mission is to develop girls between the ages of 13-18 with lifelong skills in the areas of personal and professional development, so that they can become leaders in their communities. Our goal is to ensure girls are prepared to graduate high school with confidence to enter any space knowing that they belong and they are capable of succeeding. Teens who possess strong leadership skills become effective communicators, critical thinkers, and contributors to their communities. Ultimately, these transferable soft skills are imperative to their personal and professional growth becoming a young adult.
Keri Neidig
Greater Lehigh Valley Athletics (GLVA): Co-Founder and Vice President of the Board of Directors. GLVA is a non-profit youth sports organization that my husband and I created in late 2003. We provide a recreational NFL flag football and cheer program for boys and girls aged 5-14. The league itself is primarily volunteer-run and registration costs are kept low through the generous support of community sponsors. We speak with every business or professional (dentists, financial planners, restaurants, etc.) that we meet to provide sponsorships and have generous donors that individually help families where cost is a barrier to participating.
Silvia Lucci
Silvia Lucci is an entrepreneur who believes we can change the world by the way we eat. She is the Founder/Owner of LUHV FOOD, a manufacturing company of nutritional vegan foods. Her company sells wholesale in stores like Whole Food Markets and retails in several LUHV storefronts. She has recently franchised her LUHV Bistro, and expanded her wholesale to all Mid-Atlantic region. LUHV was born in 2015 from the love and struggles of her family. Silvia has dedicated her life to her passion, mainstreaming veganism. She created a company that supports sustainability in every area of their business and manufactures foods that are healthy, delicious, and cruelty-free. At LUHV, they are thoughtful of the foods we put in our bodies and conscientious of the world we share.
Jim Byrnes
Love Ran Red Foundation recognizes that families who have a member with Autism and Developmental Disabilities need assistance. Their child has become a young adult who has aged out of the education system and now faces the most difficult stage of their journey. These young adults need gainful employment in a safe environment to encourage their confidence and sense of purpose. Meaningful employment is nearly impossible to find. Love Ran Red has provided this exact type of employment-one where an adult with different abilities is accepted for who they are. They can be themselves while learning vital growth skills which include responsibility, teamwork, communication, and socialization. This program is Duke’s Delites.
KU SBDC WORKSHOPS
Monday, April 8, 2024
9am - 6pm LinkedIn Revamp
Click here to sign up.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
4pm - 6pm Blueprint for Success
E-mail sbdc@kutztown.edu to sign up.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
6pm - 8pm Mastering AI for Social Media Success
Click here to sign up.