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In the last 5 years, Penn State University has been expanding their entrepreneurial ecosystem by introducing new academic and extracrurricular programs, robust organizations focused solely on supporting entrerepeneurs, and expanded funding to initiatives across its 20 campuses statewide. The creation of [https://invent.psu.edu Invent Penn State], acting as the leading entreprenerial organization for Penn State, has allowed centralized strategy and partnership between otherwise scattered resources.
In 2013, Penn State introduced an intercollegiate [https://enti.psu.edu entrepreneurship minor (ENTI)] that allows students across most colleges to venture into subject clusters of their choice. The entrepreneurship minor offers unique and diverse clusters: Arts Entrepreneurship, Digital Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Entrepreneurship as Advocacy, Food and Bio-Innovation, Hospitality Management, New Media, New Ventures, and Social Entrepreneurship.
Off campus, organizations like the [http://launchbox.psu.edu Happy Valley LaunchBox] serve as a great starting point for student, faculty, and community entrepreneurs, alike. With free WiFi, coffee, and co-working space from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, anyone can utilize these resources. Several programs allow students and community members to start and launch a business:
*[https://launchbox.psu.edu/ideatestlab/ Idea TestLab] is a four-week program that gives curious minds tools, mentorship, and support to conduct customer discovery with potential users. *For entrepreneurs who are further along, the [https://launchbox.psu.edu/fasttrackaccelerator/ FastTrack Accelerator] program is a 16-week accelerator program that offers intensive, hands-on guidance and tools to grow their startup.
*Penn State is also home to the [https://invent.psu.edu/program/summer-founders/ Summer Founders Program], an immersive 13-week program that gives student and local entrepreneurs $10,000 in grant funding, dedicated office space, one-on-one mentorship, and additional resources to work on their startup or non-profit full-time over the summer instead of pursuing classes or an internship.
Throughout the year, several signature events serve as great opportunities to engage and grow in the entrepreneurship community. In late fall, [https://gew.psu.edu Global Entrepreneurship Week] celebrates both the University and community's committment to innovation, offering presentations, keynotes, and networking opportunities. Also in the fall, [https://hackpsu.org HackPSU] offers curious developers and students passionate about technology a 24-hour immersive experience with open-ended development and business challenges. In the spring, Penn State offers [https://startupweek.psu.edu Startup Week], bringing leading minds in innovation and entrepreneurship to campuses across Penn State and offering the community opportunities to learn through workshops and pitch their startups.
