News & Events

Future Edge Consulting and Project TEAM Each Went Home With a Cash Prize of $5,000!

On Tuesday, June 2, 2015, the BF TechCelerator@State College awarded cash prizes totaling $10,000 to two graduates of their 10-Week Boot Camp for Entrepreneurs. 

A standing-room only crowd heard eight minute presentations from six entrepreneurs who talked about the market they are entering, the problem their product or service solves, and how their idea will make money for them and future investors. A team of judges from the local community deliberated for almost an hour before announcing there would be two winners: Future Edge Consulting and Project TEAM.

William and Cynthia Corbin, with Future Edge Consulting, have developed a software solution, which is currently being used in Huntingdon County, for the scheduling and tracking of emergency management vehicles in “real time”. Their innovative solution has cut response time to 911 incidents in half and makes a critical difference in helping to save lives. For more information click on www.future-edge.com

Linsey Covert, the Founder of Project TEAM and two Penn State University Principal Investigators, have developed a K-6 “Bullying Prevention Program” which includes curriculum, materials and training focused on creating a team-like culture that promotes peer intervention. For more information click on www.ed.psu.edu/project-team

Don McCandless, Director of the TechCelerator, commented, “I want to give a shout-out to all six of the entrepreneurs who participated in this cohort over the past ten weeks! The customer discovery process is just that . . . a process, and one that is often uncomfortable and frustrating. But, it’s critical in finding the best match between what the customer wants and what the company can offer. Everyone did a great job, and I’d like to applaud the collective effort. Congratulations to our grand prize winners.”

Presentations were also made by:

Professor Melik Demirel with BioElastomer LLC who has identified a new, eco-friendly, bio-elastomer material that can be used for civilian or military applications.

  • Dustin Ritter and Greg Lewis with PRL Diagnostics who have developed a simple, fast, and low-cost test platform for detecting contaminants in juice products.
  • Hannah Stout with Green Drake Aquatic Labs who is a supplier of aquatic insects that are used as test organisms in freshwater toxicity testing.
  • Dustin Betz and his team with GreenTowers, LLC who have developed a proprietary, space-optimized vertical farming technology that provides a cost-effective way for restaurants to grow their own fresh “locally sourced” supply of micro greens.