DALLAS, Pa. — A class of students from Penn State Wilkes-Barre partnered with the Greater Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to develop an online map to benefit local entrepreneurs.
Assistant Teaching Professor of Business Terry Clemente’s Business Administration 321 students spent the semester working on the capstone project “Mapping the Local Entrepreneurial Ecosystem” in collaboration with the chamber and Wilkes-Barre Connect, Invent Penn State, Diamond City Partnership, Wilkes University Small Business Development Center, tecBRIDGE, The Institute, Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, CareerLink and Family Business Alliance.
“While there are numerous resources to lean into within the area to help start and grow a business, entrepreneurs could not find all of the resources in one place,” Clemente said. “So, the project BA321 students worked on was creating a user-friendly, interactive way of showcasing the core organizations where an entrepreneur can get assistance.”
The idea for the ecosystem map began when Clemente, whose classes have worked with the chamber on prior projects for numerous years, was discussing local resources with chamber leaders.
“We talked about all the nonprofits there are in our area and places where individuals can get help,” she said. “But we didn’t think everyone knows about all these resources and what they can do, specifically for entrepreneurs in different stages of growth and expansion.”
Clemente received a Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT) Faculty Engagement Award in 2022 and worked with Amy Kuntz, TLT learning innovation strategic initiatives coordinator, to create the project.
Throughout the semester, Clemente led the class through a stepped approach to complete the map. They began by meeting with chamber leaders to learn about the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and the organizations involved. They then conducted research on organizations that could assist entrepreneurs in an entry, idea or expansion phase of their business and designed interview questions using generative artificial intelligence.
To build the map, the students learned about video production so they could interview partner organizations and then record and produce a two-minute video for each. They viewed their videos in a virtual reality meeting space to explore potential future working environments and discover the possibilities of virtual spaces for marketing and business purposes. At the conclusion of the semester, the students delivered a presentation to the project partners at the Think Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
Molly Moran, who is in her final year at Penn State Wilkes-Barre majoring in business with a concentration in accounting, said she appreciated the opportunity to work with local community leaders and highlight the organizations involved.
“I learned about all the different resources for entrepreneurs in the area at all different stages of business and growth. Our class used this to put together a video to showcase what we learned for entrepreneurs to use,” she said. “This map will help entrepreneurs and help keep driving economic growth in the Wyoming Valley, which can be used to uplift communities and create job growth.”
Clemente praised her colleagues who helped make the project possible, including Kuntz and Media Commons Specialist Carla Seward. She also expressed her gratitude for the collaborators in Luzerne County that helped make the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Map possible.
In addition to the benefits for those who use the map, the project was beneficial for the students who worked on it. They were able to practice teamwork skills and develop interpersonal business skills and apply them to their work. They also had the opportunity to network with community partners to discover career opportunities.
Clemente said the foundation of the course is focused on interpersonal business skills such as critical thinking, written communication, collaboration, digital technologies, leadership and work ethic.
“All of those competencies are what the National Association of Colleges and Employers says are essential for new graduates to have,” she said. “Through this class project, students were able to develop their skills in those areas.”
Moran said, “This project helped teach me many new skills I will take into the workforce, such as video editing, interviewing and creating professional relationships. It allowed me to connect with local leaders in the community and to learn about new programs and resources available to college students looking to join the workforce after graduation.”
Clemente said she looks forward to guiding students in future courses on chamber projects such as this one.
“Every year, at the end of the semester, we ask, ‘What are we doing next?’” she said. “Our community is rich in resources and people who want to help. We will continue to brainstorm what we want to do next.”