WYOMISSING, Pa. — The Penn State Berks Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center hosted its annual Student Enterprise Award ceremony on March 24. The award provides seed money to support enterprising and innovative students and allow them to utilize their Penn State Berks education to become entrepreneurs.
“The county is pleased to have the Penn State Berks Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Center as a key partner to implement our IMAGINE Berks Strategic Economic Development Action Plan. They are a proven and valuable resource for entrepreneurs and help us provide a supportive and welcoming environment,” stated Pamela Menet, director of community and economic development, County of Berks.
The three student teams that won the 2025 Student Enterprise Award are EduKonnect, DormStart.com, and A/C Cup Holder. Each team was awarded a $1,000 "IMAGINE Your Business" grant, funded by the County of Berks "Imagine Berks" Fund. The award will be dispersed in two installments.
EduKonnect, featuring team members Amulya Kondru, Miftaj Chowdhury and Mikaal Saeed, earned the award for “an innovative social media platform designed to empower students, alumni, and professionals by fostering meaningful connections and creating an ecosystem for academic, career, and professional growth. Tailored to the needs of university communities, EduKonnect bridges the gap between students, alumni, and industry leaders, enabling seamless collaboration, mentorship and networking opportunities.”
Kondru explained the value of the platform, “Networking is not about just connecting people; it’s about connecting people with ideas and people with opportunities."
DormStart.com, featuring team members Brayden Petersen and Soham Mitra, earned the award for “a platform designed to foster entrepreneurship among college students. It serves as a digital marketplace where student entrepreneurs can offer a variety of services to their peers.”
“DormStart empowers college students to market and monetize their skills by connecting them with peers seeking affordable, trusted services — all within their own campus community,” said Mitra. “Our mission is to simplify student life, foster connection and fuel campus entrepreneurship by bringing student talent to your fingertips.”
A/C Cup Holder, developed by Lucas Bunting, earned the award for “a new innovative design allows for a large array of drinks, and the full purpose is to maintain the drinks’ ideal temperature. The positives of this product include easy installation, cost-effectiveness and keeping drinks just the right temperature.”
“The A/C Cup Holder is perfect for keeping your drinks hot / chilled while driving. It utilizes your car's air conditioning to maintain optimal beverage temperature … simple, efficient and refreshing,” said Bunting.
Winning teams were acknowledged during the Penn State Startup Week at the award ceremony on March 24. The top three teams are currently participating in the Customer Discovery Lab at the Flemming CEED Center.
“The purpose of this award is to provide seed money to support the enterprising and innovative students at Penn State Berks,” explained Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems, director of the Flemming CEED Center and program chair of the entrepreneurship and innovation minor. “Our primary objective with this competition is to allow students to utilize their Penn State Berks education to become entrepreneurs and start businesses that can create jobs in our local community.”
About the Flemming CEED Center
The Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center (CEED) Center was established in the fall of 2011 as part of the Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building. Its mission is to inspire an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking in the Penn State Berks community. The CEED Center fosters economic growth and development in the Greater Reading area through technology-based solutions, human capital development and enterprise creation. It provides student entrepreneurs with an incubator in which to develop their startup ideas and mentoring from faculty, as well as volunteers from the local business community. The CEED Center’s programs include the Customer Discovery Lab, Creativity Training Workshops, 3D Printing Workshops, Speaker Series, the STEM Business Idea Challenge, and the Student Enterprise Award. For more information, contact Kulturel-Konak at sadan@psu.edu.
About the County of Berks “IMAGINE Your Business” grant
"Imagine Berks" is Berks County’s strategic economic development plan. The "Imagine Your Business" grant provides early-stage entrepreneurs with support for various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product/service development. The initiative aims to foster innovation and economic growth within Berks County. Visit Imagine Berks for more information.