Berks LaunchBox strengthens the startup ecosystem, continuing 2025 acceleration

WYOMISSING, Pa. — Throughout 2025, Berks LaunchBox continued accelerating startup growth in the Berks County community. In the last year, Berks LaunchBox assisted 277 entrepreneurs — 58% of whom are female founders and 38% of whom are people of color — taught new skills to 713 community members in its Makerspace, offered entrepreneurship classes to 540 community members, supported entrepreneurs and organizations in building 31 prototypes, and impacted 364 students (elementary school through college).

Impactful grant programs and community support

Fueled by innovative grant initiatives and strong community partnerships, Berks LaunchBox has solidified its role as a dynamic launching point for emerging entrepreneurs. In 2025, $48,000 was awarded to 27 entrepreneurs through two impactful grant programs: Seven entrepreneurs received funding through a referral partnership with Berks Arts for the Creative Entrepreneur Accelerator Grant, which ended on June 1, while 14 were awarded IMAGINE Your Business Grants, made possible by a $125k grant awarded to Berks LaunchBox by the County of Berks. These micro-grants supported early-stage business ideas and startups with gross revenues of less than $200,000, allowing them to take significant steps toward growth.

“We are so grateful to the County of Berks and the Berks LaunchBox for this grant,” stated Pino Pugliano, co-founder of Ciccio’s Olives. “The funding allowed us to purchase essential kitchen and instructional equipment, helping us expand hands-on pasta-making classes, olive oil education, and cultural food events.”

Laura Pugliano, co-founder, added, “These programs connect the Berks County community with healthy cooking and Italian culinary traditions while building confidence and skills in the kitchen. This investment created lasting resources that will continue to support learning, culture, and community for years to come.”

Pitch competitions guide growth and boost impact

In addition to the annual Idea TestLab class and pitch competition, where students test customer expectations to ensure they have a product that meets customer demands and that buyers are willing to pay for, the Berks LaunchBox offered its first Lifestyle Business Pitch Competition in spring 2025. Aspiring and current small business owners had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of Berks LaunchBox advisers, who served as the judges. Finalists selected to pitch received $125 and support from the Penn State Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic to help register an LLC or put the funds toward other business needs.

A total of $5,300 in cash prizes was awarded to 2025 pitch competition winners across two pitch events.

Phillip Jeffrey Tietbohl, an internationally published poet and licensed psychologist and founder of PoetryThatWorks.com, stated, “Preparing for the pitch helped me refine and better define what I do in a way that was new. My adviser, Seth Shriner, was encouraging and uplifting, giving me a boost to discover the essence of my work and to convey that meaning in a concise audio-visual message. While I knew what I did, I hadn’t fully realized what sets my business apart from others until working through the steps to create my pitch. Very thankful for the experience and opportunity to grow through this competition.”

Entrepreneurial education and skill development

Berks LaunchBox offers free monthly seminars for entrepreneurs and small-business owners focused on business development, artificial intelligence, social media marketing, legal issues, intellectual property, minimum viable products, brainstorming and validating business ideas, customer discovery and ways a business can pivot to address customer issues.

In 2025, the Berks LaunchBox had the opportunity to invite back entrepreneurs they had been supporting for years to lead workshops on helping other entrepreneurs grow. Two current coworking companies led workshops.

Agent 23.AI, a platform that helps service businesses automate customer conversations across web, voice and text, led an "Artificial Intelligence for Beginners" hands-on workshop where entrepreneurs learned how to use free AI tools to save time, boost creativity and simplify business tasks.

KissUX, a startup focusing on improving digital literacy and user experiences for aging adults through adaptive AI, led the 'Branding for Startups' workshop, where entrepreneurs discovered how to define their brand, craft their story and genuinely connect with customers.

Makerspace workshops and equipment training

Berks LaunchBox offers free monthly workshops in basic CAD (computer-aided design) and 3D printing, as well as hands-on training in Inkscape software to create custom designs. Participants can use these designs with the Laser Cutter to craft unique items such as engraved coasters, wooden lanterns, and LED nightlights. Additionally, designs can be brought to life using the vinyl plotter to create custom t-shirts, stickers and other personalized products. These creative experiences often inspire participants to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and consider launching their own small businesses.

Entrepreneurs supporting entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs working with the Berks LaunchBox benefit from the experience and dedication of its staff, who work closely with founders at every stage of their journey. Team members are entrepreneurs themselves and work part-time to support startups in the community.

The staff includes Michelle Hnath, Berks LaunchBox coordinator and software entrepreneur; Jim Hong, Makerspace engineer and real estate entrepreneur; Seth Shriner, startup coach and entrepreneur; Gary Seibert, startup coach and serial entrepreneur; and Frael Reinoso, Spanish-language coach and tech entrepreneur.

Through mentoring, workshops and practical guidance, the team helps entrepreneurs clarify ideas, solve problems and take practical steps toward building sustainable businesses.

When specialized expertise is needed, founders can also draw on the support of more than 25 volunteer advisers who assist LaunchBox entrepreneurs in areas such as accounting, sales, marketing and business strategy.

Youth and community outreach

Berks LaunchBox staff support the idea that growing an entrepreneurial mindset in youth helps to develop future entrepreneurs. The LaunchBox participates in Remake Learning Days, an innovative learning festival in which thousands of hands-on and engaging events designed for kids of all ages are held in a variety of settings around the world. The LaunchBox also partners with local schools and organizations such as the Reading School District and Emerging Entrepreneurs Leadership Academy to offer hands-on engineering design challenges and customer discovery exercises.

In addition, Berks LaunchBox hosts events and open lab nights for individuals and families with children to explore hands-on making and design, introducing them to new technologies while sparking creativity and innovation. Participants can create items such as 3D-printed fidget toys and marshmallow shooters, custom laser-engraved nightlights and coasters and custom-printed t-shirts.

Outreach to the Latino and Hispanic community

The Berks LaunchBox has offered free Spanish-language programming for several years and continues to expand these efforts to better serve Berks County’s growing Latino and Hispanic entrepreneurial community. This year, Berks LaunchBox partnered with the Kutztown Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Lorena Bravo, a bilingual business consultant with the SBDC, will join forces with Frael Reinoso, Spanish-language coach at the Berks LaunchBox, to present an expanded series of startup workshops taught entirely in Spanish, covering topics such as registering a business, understanding finances, marketing services and attracting customers.

Looking ahead to 2026

When asked what the future holds, Erica Kunkel, director of the Berks LaunchBox and continuing education at Penn State Berks, stated, “2026 will hold more milestones and growth for the Berks LaunchBox. Founded in 2016, the innovation hub will be celebrating our 10th year of supporting entrepreneurs and driving economic development in the region.”

Kunkel added, “The Berks LaunchBox will be moving and expanding its physical space within the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. The move will allow for more students to benefit from STEM-related activities with a larger classroom space and expanded Makerspace.”

About the Berks LaunchBox

An innovation hub of the Invent Penn State initiative, Berks LaunchBox was created through a seed grant in 2016. Its mission is to assist early-stage entrepreneurs and startup companies with accessing the tools and resources they need to launch and grow in Berks County. 

Berks LaunchBox, located in Suite 105 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading, is supported by Invent Penn State — a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success. For more information, visit berkslaunchbox.psu.edu or contact Erica Kunkel at 610-396-6221 or via email at LS5014@psu.edu.