News & Events

Ben Franklin Congratulates Brian Krier on his New Position with the Center!

State College, PA – Ben Franklin Technology Partners is pleased to announce that Mr. Brian Krier, the current Portfolio Manager for the Altoona/Johnstown region, has accepted the position of Marketing Research Director for the Center’s Transformation Business Services Network. In this position, Brian and his colleague, Nate Porter, will be responsible for doing in-depth marketing research projects as just one of the many services the Program offers early-stage entrepreneurs.

Brian, who was a small business owner himself, has been with Ben Franklin for 15 years. A graduate of the Wharton School of Finance and the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, he has held several positions with the Center. For the past several years, he has been the primary point of contact in the Altoona/Johnstown region for Ben Franklin’s investment program. In addition, Brian also provided operational assistance to those startups, while also helping to disburse funding from the Commonwealth that targeted Alternative Energy Development.

Stephen Brawley, Ben Franklin’s President/CEO, remarked, “We are fortunate to have someone with Brian’s background and education join our marketing research team. This function is a critical component of the services we offer to emerging startups that need to understand the competitive landscape of their respective industries. While Brian’s expertise and support will no doubt be missed by his portfolio clients in the Southern Alleghenies portion of our footprint, his abilities to delve into complex research projects will be a great asset to all the entrepreneurs and small business owners in the 32-county region covered by Ben Franklin.”                                               

About Ben Franklin Technology Partners:

The largest early-stage seed investor in our region, Ben Franklin Technology Partners/CNP, (an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority) provides funding and business support services to tech-based startups and small manufacturers. Contact Ben Franklin’s Central Office in State College at (814) 863-4558 or see our website at www.cnp.benfranklin.org.