news & events

HAZLETON, Pa. – Registration is open for two of the Hazleton LaunchBox supported by Pasco L. Schiavo, Esq.’s signature no-cost programs for entrepreneurs. The Idea Design Lab will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23, via Zoom. It is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop and refine business ideas and identify the next steps of the startup process. The Idea Test Lab consists of three Zoom sessions on Tuesdays from March 29 to April 12 from 6-8 p.m. It is aimed at teaching entrepreneurs how to better understand customer problems and solutions, connect with potential customers, and identify the...

HAZLETON, Pa. — More than 60 participants of the Hazleton LaunchBox supported by Pasco L. Schiavo Esq.’s Diaspora Emprende program were recently recognized during a virtual ceremony attended by officials from Penn State Hazleton, INDEX (Instituto de Dominicanos y Dominicanas en el Exterior) and the Dominican Republic. Entrepreneurship Facilitator Fermin Diaz organized and led the series, which he adapted from the LaunchBox’s flagship Idea Design Lab program so it could be presented to native Spanish speakers. Held monthly beginning in September, sessions featured elements of the Idea Design Lab, but with a deeper exploration of the content, Diaz said. Participants attended...

HAZLETON, Pa. – Hazleton LaunchBox supported by Pasco L. Schiavo, Esq. is seeking the next generation of innovators for its upcoming Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge beginning Tuesday, June 29. The seven-week program -- open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors -- will be held at the LaunchBox, 13 W. Broad St., Hazleton, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is offered at no cost thanks to support from local businesses. The program is designed to teach students teamwork, problem solving and key strategies for launching a product or startup. This session will also incorporate use of the...

HAZLETON, Pa. — In an annual Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge pitch competition marked by bright ideas, Kaitlyn Marley’s really shined. Marley’s concept of a dance shoe fitted with LED lights earned the Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences student the $1,000 first prize in the challenge’s spring 2021 competition hosted in April by the Hazleton LaunchBox supported by Pasco L. Schiavo, Esq. Held virtually, the competition was the culmination of the Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge, a six-week program designed to teach high school students key strategies for launching a product or startup. Marley and five other students worked closely with Entrepreneurship Coordinator William...

Early-stage startups test their assumptions and ideas. Seven new startups launched by community and student entrepreneurs graduated from Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank’s FastTrack Accelerator. The startup ideas spanned health tech, ed tech, and environmental businesses including a biodegradable seed square, to a mentor network supporting economically disadvantaged students, and a health tech startup that focuses on improving quality of life for individuals with mobility impairments. Startup teams met virtually for 15 weeks starting in November of 2020 working with program directors to test both their assumptions and the market while avoiding common and costly startup mistakes. As part...