News & Events
Brandywine LaunchBox News & Events
View our latest news & events
March 18, 2026
MEDIA, Pa. — The Brandywine LaunchBox kicked off its third season of Road to LionCage — a series of pitch competitions that award prize money and guarantee the first-place winners’ entry into November’s LionCage Pitch Competition — on March 18 in the Brandywine Makerspace....
March 11, 2026
MEDIA, Pa. — The Brandywine LaunchBox held a Youth Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) and Startup Day for high school students on March 11. Nearly 90 students from five local high schools (Chester Charter Scholars Academy, Paul Robeson High School...
November 21, 2025
The Brandywine LaunchBox partnered with the Great Valley LaunchBox and the Chester County Economic Development Council’s Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n) to present the second annual LionCage Pitch Competition on Nov. 14. The event highlighted entrepreneurs and innovators across southeastern...
September 16, 2025
We had the absolute honor of hosting this episode LIVE from the Brandywine LaunchBox, inside our brand-new makerspace at Penn State Brandywine—and it was unforgettable. Our guest, the founder and chairman of CTDI, Jerry Parsons, shares his story of building...
August 13, 2025
Want to hear the story behind a locally based tech company that went global? Join us for a special live recording of the Invent Penn State Dare to Disrupt podcast, presented by Brandywine LaunchBox powered by Penn State, featuring CTDI founder and chairman Jerry Parsons....
July 23, 2025
Our July 23 stop on the Road to LionCage focused on Social Impact and hosted with Chester County United Way proved to be a resounding success! With six presenters, four judges, three panelists and 48 audience members, it was an...
May 21, 2025
Our May 21 stop on the Road to LionCage hosted at The Discovery Labs in King of Prussia! This Open Category pitch session featured eight entrepreneurs competing for $500 and a spot at the main event in November. Congratulations to NoPlex for taking home the...
June 26, 2025
For the second year in a row, Penn State Brandywine and the Brandywine LaunchBox hosted a workshop in collaboration with The Main Line Chamber of Commerce called "The Middle Market Business Growth Workshop." Multiple business owners across the region discussed...
May 29, 2025
MEDIA, Pa. — The Brandywine LaunchBox held a Youth Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) and Startup Day for middle school students on May 15. More than 90 students from five local middle schools — Chester Charter Scholars Academy, Haverford Middle...
March 28, 2025
The Brandywine LaunchBox held its first Women Founders Pitch Competition on March 26. The event, which was held at Penn State Brandywine, is part of a series called "Road to LionCage," which features six small-scale pitch competitions that lead up...
March 24, 2025
The Brandywine LaunchBox held a Youth Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) and Startup Day for high school students on March 12. More than 130 high school students from eight local high schools (Chester Charter Scholars Academy in Chester, Furness High...
March 17, 2025
Hunter Becker, a third-year computer science major, reflects on his Penn State Brandywine experience so far and how his involvement has helped him succeed. “I chose to attend Penn State Brandywine because it’s close to home, and my mom really...
February 25, 2025
For Penn State students across Pennsylvania, one year of fundraising to support children fighting pediatric cancer culminated Feb. 21-23 in a 46-hour no-sleeping, no-sitting dance marathon at University Park in the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State THON raised a record $17,737,040.93...
February 21, 2025
GET READY TO ROAR! Following the incredible success of LionCage 2024, we’re thrilled to unleash the ROAD TO LIONCAGE 2025! Prepare for an electrifying series of SIX smaller pitch competitions across the Greater Philadelphia region, running from March through October!...
January 24, 2025
Overview: Entrepreneurs will focus on developing their Minimum Viable Product (MVP), the simplest version of their product or service that solves the core problem for customers. This workshop is all about building something quickly that can be tested in the...
January 24, 2025
Please note that this workshop has been rescheduled to April 17, 2025 at 12 p.m. Overview: During this workshop, the focus is on building a marketing strategy to attract and engage your first customers. This workshop covers the fundamentals of...
January 24, 2025
Overview: This workshop dives into the financial foundation every entrepreneur needs to build a sustainable business. This session focuses on understanding key financial concepts, managing cash flow, and creating simple financial projections. Entrepreneurs will learn how to keep their business...
January 24, 2025
Overview: During this workshop, the focus shifts to sales—the critical skill of turning leads into paying customers. Entrepreneurs will learn how to build a sales strategy that works for their business, focusing on how to pitch their product or service,...
January 24, 2025
Overview: During this workshop, the focus is on how to manage growth and scale a business effectively. Entrepreneurs will explore strategies for scaling their operations, managing increased demand, and building the systems needed to sustain growth. This workshop is designed...
January 24, 2025
Overview: The final workshop is all about the mindset required to thrive as an entrepreneur. Building and growing a business is a long and challenging journey, so entrepreneurs need mental resilience and emotional intelligence to stay motivated through setbacks, failures,...
November 18, 2024
The Brandywine LaunchBox partnered with the Great Valley LaunchBox and the Chester County Economic Development Council’s Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n) to present the LionCage Pitch Competition on Nov. 8. The event highlighted entrepreneurs and innovators across southeastern Pennsylvania. Hosted...
November 4, 2024
Penn State Brandywine’s and Penn State Berks’ LaunchBoxes, powered by Penn State, collaborated with Penn State Great Valley to hold the fall 2024 Idea TestLab Pitch Competition on Nov. 4. Six startup entrepreneurs participated in the competition, which was held...
September 24, 2024
On September 24, the Brandywine LaunchBox was invited to table at The Global Impact Forum: Accelerating AI for Good conference in Philadelphia, presented by Global Silicon Valley and Penn State University. The conference brought together leaders in education, artificial intelligence,...
August 6, 2024
The Brandywine LaunchBox is once again partnering with the Berks LaunchBox to be able to provide the Fall 2024 Idea TestLab program. Idea TestLab is a "customer discovery" investigation designed to help you better understand the customer, the problem you're...
August 6, 2024
The Brandywine LaunchBox is excited to announce a partnership with the Great Valley LaunchBox and i2n to deliver a new pitch competition to support entrepreneurs and innovators across all of southeastern Pennsylvania. Known as LionCage, the program features pitch presentations from...
May 7, 2024
The Brandywine LaunchBox held its annual Youth Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) and Startup Day on May 7. More than 60 seventh-grade students from four local middle schools (Haverford Middle School in Havertown, Lionville Middle School in Exton,...
March 28, 2024
Penn State Brandywine’s Entrepreneurship Club hosted a student pitch competition, its first major event as a student organization, on March 28. The competition featured six students in the club pitching their startup ideas to a panel of judges. The Entrepreneurship...
March 19, 2024
The Penn State Brandywine LaunchBox held its Spring 2024 Idea TestLab Pitch Competition on March 19. Four startup entrepreneurs participated in the competition, which was held on campus in the Tomezsko Classroom Building. The Idea TestLab is a six-week business...
January 19, 2024
FREE WEBINAR! Wednesday, February 21, 2024: 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. Mastering Sales Conversations. With Strategies for Startup Success Join us for an insightful webinar that delves into the art of effective sales strategies tailored for young businesses. In this session,...
January 19, 2024
FREE WEBINAR! Wednesday, January 24, 2024: 6 – 7 p.m. Marketing with Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Beginners In this hands-on webinar, we will delve into the transformative power of artificial intelligence in the realm of marketing. Participants will gain practical...
November 28, 2023
Penn State Brandywine’s and Penn State Berks’ LaunchBoxes, powered by Penn State, collaborated with Penn State Great Valley to hold the Fall 2023 Idea TestLab Pitch Competition on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Nine startup entrepreneurs participated in the competition, which was...
November 9, 2023
Penn State Brandywine’s and Penn State Berks’ LaunchBoxes collaborated with Penn State Great Valley to hold the Fall 2023 Idea TestLab Pitch Competition on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Nine startup business owners participated in the competition, which included two students from...
November 7, 2023
Khalid Jordan, a third-year business major at Penn State Brandywine, was one of eight Penn State students across the commonwealth to receive funding for his small business at the 2023 Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference in Hershey on Oct. 16. Each student’s...
September 25, 2023
Tony Mattei, interim director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Penn State Brandywine and the Brandywine LaunchBox, will be a featured speaker at the International Business Innovation Association’s e.Builders Forum on October 2. He, along with James Delattre (director in the...
August 10, 2023
Have a business idea? Figure out how to turn it into a viable business. Idea TestLab is a "customer discovery" investigation designed to help you better understand the customer, the problem you're trying to solve, and how to provide value...
December 1, 2022
Brandywine LaunchBox hosted its first Networking Night. The event included an Open House and Idea TestLab Pitch Competition at Brandywine LaunchBox on November 7, 2022. Click here to read the full story!
September 12, 2022
Joined by several dozen community leaders, elected officials and business owners, former Penn State University President Eric J. Barron and Penn State Brandywine Chancellor Marilyn J. Wells presided over a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony on March 18, 2022 to mark...
Invent Penn State News
April 6
2026
Join the 'Dare to Disrupt' podcast for its 50th Episode live with Asia Grant
Invent Penn State’s Dare to Disrupt podcast will celebrate its 50th episode with a live episode recording featuring Penn State alumna, creative entrepreneur, content creator and professional perfumer Asia Grant on Thursday, April 9, at Struthers Auditorium in the Smeal Business Building.
March 30
2026
AI workshop highlights real-world tools for small businesses
Small business owners, entrepreneurs, students and community members gathered at Penn State Lehigh Valley on March 27 for a hands-on workshop exploring how artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen business strategy, improve decision-making and expand capacity for small teams.
March 30
2026
Student startups win funding in Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition
As a kickoff to Penn State Startup Week, six student teams pitched their startups to a panel of judges, competing for prizes totaling $35,500 in funding in the 2026 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. SlammedU, a startup founded by Smeal College of Business student Niklas Restrepo, won first place and $15,000.
March 27
2026
Inaugural Penn State Innovation to Impact Awards recipients announced
Penn State has named the inaugural Innovation to Impact Awards recipients, recognizing faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs and partners whose work exemplifies the University’s commitment to translating research into real-world impact.
March 13
2026
Education nonprofit executive director on 'Dare to Disrupt' podcast
The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features Jackie Foor, executive director of the Consortium for Public Education. The consortium is a nonprofit that connects schools with partners and resources to help students prepare for their futures.
March 13
2026
Strengthening western Pennsylvania’s innovation and workforce ecosystem
Penn State is strengthening western Pennsylvania’s innovation, manufacturing and workforce ecosystem — which includes collaborative research, education, training and production efforts — by aligning the Penn State Digital Foundry and the New Kensington LaunchBox powered by Penn State more directly within its central research and innovation enterprise.