STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Happy Valley VC and Innoblue will host a celebration of Penn State’s entrepreneurial community from 4-7 p.m. Monday, April 4 at the Penn State Innovation Hub (123 S. Burrowes St), State College. In addition to featuring a networking session, roundtable discussions and a keynote, the event will showcase an annual pitch competition with some of the most innovative student startups in Penn State’s community to kick off Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC.

The event, which you can RSVP here, features a lineup of renowned judges and speakers ranging from venture investors to startup founders to community builders. The celebration will consist of the following series of events:

Networking & Community Roundtable (4-5 p.m. | In-person | Penn State Innovation Hub Second Floor)

• Participate in an open community roundtable with guest speakers, including alumnus Rachel Sapienza from PayPal Ventures
• Meet and enjoy refreshments from local entrepreneurs in the food and beverage space at Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank
• Connect with 100+ key stakeholders in the entrepreneurship ecosystem, including alumni, students and faculty building, working or investing in startups or small businesses

Spring Pitch Competition (5-6 p.m. | Hybrid | Penn State Innovation Hub Sixth Floor)

• Listen to some of the most exceptional student founders at Penn State showcase their startups and compete for $25,000 in non-dilutive funding
• Vote on your favorite pitch from the top six student startups to award additional funding through the People's Choice Award (more details will be shared during the event)

Keynote Speaker on "The Startup journey” (6-7 p.m. | Hybrid)

• Hear from Lynsie Campbell — a two-time female founder, author and investor speak about "The Startup Journey: How Failure & Flexibility Fuel Success!"

Campbell is the founder of two tech companies (ShowClix and LaneSpotter), founder and managing director at Better Work Ventures, general partner at The Fund Midwest, and author of "This Better Work: A Female Founder's (Wild) Journey Through The (Hyper-Masculine) Tech Startup World."

Those interested in attending can RSVP here. For any questions, please reach out to happyvalleyvc@gmail.com.

About Happy Valley VC

Happy Valley VC's mission is to facilitate student engagement with the tech startup world while amplifying student founder's access to convenient funding opportunities and exceptional talent. In addition, HVVC connects alumni with Penn State's entrepreneurship ecosystem and places the most students in professional careers at leading firms in the space. As a student aspiring to get actively involved with building startups or venture investing, you'll be exposed to extensive mentorship networks and learn-by-doing environments through a wide-ranging series of events and projects.

About Innoblue

Innoblue is the oldest entrepreneurship organization on Penn State's campus. It provides a community, resources, and inspiration for students with big ideas to make them a reality. All of this works toward the mission of encouraging and enabling Penn State's entrepreneurial community of like-minded students and alumni.

About sponsors and partners

This event is sponsored by Invent Penn State and co-funded by The Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Penn State Engineering Entrepreneurship. Additionally, Happy Valley VC and Innoblue partnered with SBDC Pennsylvania, Ben Franklin Tech Partners, and Happy Valley LaunchBox to make this event possible.