Entrepreneurship
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School offers entrepreneurship program
By Steve Althouse 3/30/2012 4:20pmThe Baker Institute at Lehigh University has recently developed a Master’s in Technical Entrepreneurship program that will launch later this spring. Classes focus on innovation and new-venture creation, which supports the development of novel, innovative and commercially-viable technologies. The school is hosting an open house at 4:30 p.m. on April 4th at the Wilbur Powerhouse. To learn more about the Master’s In Technical Entrepreneurship program, please click here.
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SBKIZ company moves to the head of the class
By Steve Althouse 3/15/2012 2:37pmGoodSemester is a company on the move. The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s Keystone Innovation Zone client is the brainchild of CEO Jason Rappaport, an ambitious and innovative Lehigh University student, who has used his own ingenuity to expand upon tradition. GoodSemester developed a new class of learning software built from the ground up around the collaborative web. Its aim is simple: Improve education at colleges and universities everywhere across the fruited plain and the world by creating an academic social network that uses the latest technology to enhance learning. Rappaport along with lead developer Scott Smallback and Vice President of Sales David Gritz are helping universities operate more effectively by creating a one-stop virtual community for professors to hold discussions, review coursework and issue grades. By creating an organized and searchable knowledge repository for course notes and student projects to enable a more productive use of academic resources as an economic resource, GoodSemester has moved to the top of the class. The latest development is the unveiling of the company’s new API (application programming interface) at the first-ever Lehigh Valley Hack 2012, which kicks off March 30that Ben Franklin Tech Ventures. API is something that will allow anyone to easily create apps that utilize GoodSemester’s core features. It will let anyone build powerful education services quickly, using the same tools used by GoodSemester. “The Lehigh Valley Hack 2012 is our first foray into API development,” Rappaport says. “For the first time ever, developers will be able to rapidly create incredible apps for education that utilize the powerful features we’ve developed forGoodSemester.” It represents a turning point for the company. “We’re not just a service companyanymore,” he adds. “Now we’re a platform. We’re finally going to be the operating system for education and help people easily create amazing new services that transform the classroom. That’s huge.” The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s KIZ program helped GoodSemester in its formative stages with a grant that enabled Rappaport to attend his first trade show and build their first and only promotional video. The video proved indispensible in promoting the product. “Without the KIZ grant, there might not have been any means to marketing GoodSemester,” he notes. At the hack event, Rappaport will unveil the developer preview of their API. They’ll demonstrate how you can incorporate GoodSemester services into their own education apps to make them more interactive or build their own education services wholesale, using nothing but GoodSemester technology and a little good old-fashioned ingenuity. For more information about the Lehigh Valley Hack 2012 event, please click here.
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Business resource expo is March 20th
By Steve Althouse 3/15/2012 2:27pmLVEDC is partnering with the U.S. Small Business Administration to present the Lehigh Valley Lender Match and Business Resources Expo. This is a free-of-charge event that will be held on Tuesday, March 20th from 5 to 9 p.m. at the ArtsQuest Center at Steelstacks, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem. The event will allow entrepreneurs a series of 10-minute periods to pitch their financing needs to a variety of lenders in one-on-one meetings. Lenders interested in working with a prospective borrower will then schedule a follow-up meeting where a more-detailed interview will occur. At this time, the respective bank’s loan process will begin. The intent of this Lender Match Program is to enable interested borrowers to quickly meet with a number of lenders to gauge interest in their project. The Event’s Business Expo will include business resource displays and networking opportunities. John Kingsley and Judy Yanega from LVEDC’s Loan Division will be at the event to help with any questions you may have. To register to this free-of-charge event please follow the link below: http://events.sba.gov/eventmanagement/EventRegistration.aspx?id=b4e6c9aa-0720-e111-86ff-02bfa56e2a24
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Don’t leave money on the table
By Steve Melnick 3/7/2012 2:52pmYou may be missing an opportunity to enhance your business. The Keystone Innovation Zone will be hosting a free tax credit seminar presented by MVM Associates of Fort Washington, Pa. TIME: 10 a.m. WHEN: Wednesday, March 14 WHERE: Northampton Community College Third floor, room 305 511 E 3rd St, Bethlehem, Pa. 18015 Credits to be discussed at this seminar include: KIZ Tax Credits Research & Development Tax Credits Job Creation Tax Credits Enterprise Zone Tax Credits and the new Keystone Special Development Zone Plan on attending this seminar and learn how to use these credits to better define your bottom line. RSVP to Steve Melnick smelnick@lehighvalley.org
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Attention small business ventures and startups
By Steve Melnick 12/21/2011 9:04pmThe Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone recognizes the goal of entrepreneurs or small business owners is to make money. But how many do? We want to make you one of them. You can have your path to profitability reviewed and evaluated by experts as part of the Southside Bethlehem Keystone Innovation Zone Commercial Competition. The winners of the competition will have the opportunity to become Keystone Innovation Zone clients and receive many KIZ benefits. Here are the eligibility guidelines: The competition is for small independent business ventures and startups that operate within the Lehigh Valley and are engaged in business within the broad guidelines of one of the KIZ approved business clusters listed below. - Advanced Materials & Nanotechnology - Life Sciences - Information Technologies & web based businesses - Opto-Micro Electronics - Alternative/Renewable Energy - Financial Services Early Stage Companies – Existing companies eight years old or younger that are engaged in business within one of the above business clusters. Companies have not yet achieved full sustainability. Startup Businesses - Any company with a limited operating history. Companies are generally in their first stage of operations and initially bankrolled by their entrepreneurial founders, as they attempt to capitalize on developing a product or service with a burgeoning demand. Ineligible - Any existing company or idea that has received venture capital financing is ineligible for this competition. Buyouts, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area, are also ineligible. AWARDS Cash: First place: $7,500 Second place: $5,000 Third place: $2,500 In-Kind Awards - One year’s free rent in the PI Commercialization Center or other space in the KIZ. This is a $3,000 value - A free consultation with an accountant or bookkeeper for up to two hours. - Free consultation with an attorney for up to two hours. - Office furnishings allowance to$1,000 For a complete rules packet please contact Steve Melnick at (610) 266-7535 or at smelnick@lehighvalley.org Competition entries will be accepted until February 28th.
