The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences is aligned with Penn State President Eric Barron’s imperative to create unique opportunities for student engagement, building upon classroom learning with real-world interactions within and outside of the University community. Penn State is a hub of innovation and has an ample portfolio of intellectual property that will shape future markets. New discoveries are coming out of many fields — agriculture, life sciences, energy, materials, manufacturing, education, and more.
State College has been named one of the “15 Best U.S. Cities for Entrepreneurs to Live and Launch” by Entrepreneur magazine, citing the town’s “promising unemployment rate and business growth rate” and proximity to Penn State’s University Park campus.
Penn State recently reaffirmed its commitment to entrepreneurship in January 2015 when it launched Invent Penn State, President Barron’s initiative to drive job creation, economic development, and student career success throughout the Commonwealth.
The initiative has launched thirteen entrepreneurship centers in its first year, including Happy Valley LaunchBox in downtown State College. This new hub for innovation hosts numerous companies, providing free access to space, consultation on legal and intellectual property matters, ten weeks of business training, and mentorship from community entrepreneurs and Penn State faculty and staff. Any entrepreneur can walk in for assistance Monday through Friday during business hours.
Penn State students in any discipline can minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, and receive support from organizations by participating in events such as:
InnoBlue
Student organization whose members promote and support entrepreneurial aspirations and help provide leadership and community for student startups.
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)
GEW Penn State, one of the largest GEW events in the United States, operates independently of the Global Entrepreneurship Network, the worldwide organization that established GEW. Like every other GEW initiative, it is responsible for creating its own events and managing its own organization.
Penn State Startup Week
Penn State Startup Week brings some of the leading minds in entrepreneurship and innovation to the University Park campus. The event features entrepreneurial workshops, networking events, student pitch competitions, and talks from startup founders, including many Penn State alumni.