WYOMISSING, Pa. — The Penn State Berks LaunchBox is hosting a series of events including Marketing Mondays and Tinker Tuesdays, 2-7 p.m., throughout the month of July; a Laser Cutter Safety and Orientation course; and special interest meetups in the fall.
Marketing Mondays and Tinker Tuesdays
Marketing Mondays and Tinker Tuesdays are open to the general public and are not limited to entrepreneurs. These are informal, drop-in sessions, not a formal class.
During Marketing Mondays, attendees will have an opportunity to experiment with Wix online web design software on the LaunchBox laptops. Attendees are encouraged to preview the Wix software before attending and to bring a thumb drive with photos that they would like to showcase on their websites. Marketing Mondays will be led by Michelle Hnath, an entrepreneur who started a small, local software business, Code Relief, LLC, 20 years ago. Hnath will be available to assist and answer questions as needed.
Tinker Tuesdays are open houses for the general public to stop by and "tinker" with tools in the LaunchBox Makerspace, such as the 3D printers using Tinkercad, the introductory software used to create 3D designs. Attendees are encouraged to preview the Tinkercad software before attending and to bring a thumb drive with the design they would like to create on the 3D printers. A staff member will be available to assist and answer questions as needed and can help to create a design at the event.
Laser Cutter Safety and Orientation Course
The Berks LaunchBox will also offer a Laser Cutter Safety and Orientation course in two different four-hour sessions: July 30 and Aug. 6, from 6 to 8 p.m.; or July 31 and Aug. 7, from noon to 2 p.m. This course is free and open to the public and it is required to utilize the laser cutter in the Berks LaunchBox. Register for the July 30 / Aug. 6 session or register for the July 31 / Aug. 7 session.
Veteran Entrepreneurship Meetup
Future events at the Berks LaunchBox include a Veteran Entrepreneurship Meetup from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11. This will be an informational session to help guide veterans on an entrepreneurial path. Speakers from Warrior Rising and the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as a successful veteran entrepreneur will share tips on starting a business.
Trending, Trademarks & Traction Meetup
The Trending, Trademarks & Traction Meetup will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 10. This session will provide all the startup information you didn’t know you needed. Local library representatives will discuss the immense amount of free resources they offer for entrepreneurs, including a demo on how to search for existing trademarks on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s online database.
If you have any questions about Marketing Mondays or Tinker Tuesdays at the Berks LaunchBox, contact us at BK-InnovationHub@psu.edu or 610-396-6400.
About the Berks LaunchBox
The Penn State Berks LaunchBox is located within the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading, Pennsylvania. It offers a makerspace with 3D printers for prototyping; entrepreneurship workshops; co-working space for startups; an Idea Test Lab accelerator program; meetups focused on topics related to business development and technology; and special youth programs. The Berks LaunchBox is supported by Invent Penn State — a $30 million, commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student success, launched by Penn State President Eric J. Barron in 2016. Today, there are 21 innovation hubs across the state.