BEN FRANKLIN TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS is a partner in Keystone Edge. They will be sharing insights from their leadership and news from their portfolio companies in the Ben Franklin On: section.
Six colleges will compete in a pitch-off at the inaugural Lehigh Valley Collegiate Business Pitch Summit at Ben Franklin TechVentures on Thursday, April 27, 6 – 9 p.m. Teams from Lafayette College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, and Penn State Lehigh Valley, as well as the winner of the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce Business Idea Challenge, will participate in this Lehigh Valley Tech event.
Regional companies are also attending and sponsoring the event in order to support regional entrepreneurship and identify prospective interns and employees. Sponsors will have an opportunity to briefly present to the students and audience; they include Arkados, EcoTech Marine, Aesculap, Follett, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Olympus, PPL and Victaulic.
“The intercollegiate competition will add even more excitement and competition to the colleges’ entrepreneurial programs,” says Wayne Barz, manager of entrepreneurial services for the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP). “The event will support student interest in the Lehigh Valley as an entrepreneurial hub and encourage sharing of ideas among the schools. It will also help employers identify highly qualified students for employment.”
BFTP/NEP is the venue sponsor of the event.
Lehigh Valley Collegiate Business Pitch Summit
Ben Franklin TechVentures
Lehigh University Mountaintop Campus
Thursday, 6 – 9 p.m., April 27, 2017
PROGRAM
6 – 6:30 p.m. Networking
6:30 – 8 p.m. Collegiate teams pitch their company ideas to a panel of judges. Presentations are about 10 minutes each, including Q&A from judges.
8 – 8:30 p.m. Judges confer and rank the top three teams. There will also be voting for a “people’s choice” winner. During the judging, sponsors briefly describe their companies, and detail internships and job openings. Refreshments served.
8:30 – 9 p.m. Announcement of winners
