Berks

      Berks LaunchBox announces first five 'IMAGINE Your Business' grant recipients

      Recipients of the Berks LaunchBox "Imagine Your Business" grant include (top, left to right): Kuba Kerner (left) and Vera Hempel of KissUX and Erika Valdez of Erival LLC, (bottom, left to right) Karen Tripolitis of Mindful Roots Children, Kryn McClain of CatapalloVR, and Tom Wentling of WarrantyClick.   Credit: Penn State Berks. All Rights Reserved.

      WYOMISSING, Pa. — The Berks LaunchBox recently announced the first five recipients of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the County of Berks Imagine Berks Fund, this grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County.

      According to the Berks LaunchBox officials, the recipients, whose business ideas span diverse industries, have demonstrated exceptional potential and a clear vision for addressing market needs. They will utilize the grant funds to advance their business plans and bring their ideas to fruition.

      • CatapalloVR, founded by Kryn McClain, is a software service company that offers virtual platforms to service providers to help both neurodiverse youth and young adults learn new skills through video modules. CatapalloVR plans to use the grant to attend a national trade show to promote its virtual reality platform and expand its reach to a broader audience.

      • Erival LLC offers a luxurious, eco-friendly and skin-respectful bathing experience with artisanal handcrafted soaps that do not contain toxic chemicals. its products are made using sustainable practices, with a focus on personalized customer experiences and artistic presentation. Founder Erika Valdez plans to use the grant for marketing and to create custom packaging. She also plans to participate in trade fairs.

      • KissUX is pioneering an accessible prototyping application to turn the app design process into a scalable, repeatable and consistent experience for startup product teams, early-stage UI/UX designers and developers. The platform empowers users, regardless of their design experience and ability level, to transform app ideas into clickable prototypes quickly and efficiently. Founder Vera Hempel plans to use the grant to create user tutorials and for website updates.

      • Mindful Roots Children, founded by Karen Tripolitis, provides school staff with the training necessary to teach elementary students a 10-minute program aimed at enhancing social and emotional learning to help create peaceful learning environments and foster connected classroom communities. The company plans to use the grant to offset the cost of creating artwork for an activity card deck, part of its training package.

      • WarrantyClick, founded by Tom Wentling, provides a one-time registration for warranty registration and recall notification. This solution allows consumers to input personal data one time and register all their products. The company will use the grant to hire a UX expert to improve the user experience for the app Wentling is building.

      As part of the award, recipients are required to submit a one-page report on the utilization and impact of the funds within six months. This accountability ensures that the funds are used effectively and provides valuable insights into the program's impact on the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

      The next funding period for grants is due Aug. 30, 2024. Applicants are required to build a business model canvas and make an appointment and review it with Berks LaunchBox staff.

      For more information on the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant and other initiatives, visit the Berks LaunchBox online.

      About the Berks LaunchBox  

      The mission of Berks LaunchBox, located in Suite 105 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading, is to support economic development and entrepreneurship. An innovation hub of Penn State Berks, the LaunchBox connects local early-stage entrepreneurs to the support, resources and facilities that they need to build sustainable and scalable businesses with a viable plan for growth. Services include assistance with prototyping, conducting market research and connecting with advisers. Berks LaunchBox offers entrepreneurship workshops, co-working space for startups, meetups focused on business development, a makerspace with 3D printers for prototyping and special youth programs.  

      Berks LaunchBox is supported by Invent Penn State — a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success. For more information, visit berkslaunchbox.psu.edu or contact Erica Kunkel at 610-396-6221 or ELS5014@psu.edu.

      Last Updated August 13, 2024

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