live from THE LAUNCHBOX!With great honor, we invite the top teams in our competition to our business plan presentation challenge - hosted at Penn State's Happy Valley LaunchBox. Is your business plan ready?
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123 S Burrowes St. 6th Floor
State College, PA 16801 |
$1,000 GRAND PRIZE
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The top team selected in our rounds of judging will receive a $1,000 grand prize (in the form of an Amazon gift card). Our Shark-Tank-like competitions allow the best student teams from school districts to present their business ideas to a panel of local judges for awesome prizes.
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PREVIOUS EVENT - THE EXPERTS
A variety of renown business professionals will be in attendance
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Samuel R. Ryder
Vice President 
First National Bank
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Alan Dakey
President 
Brighter Financial Futures
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Cindy Conron
AVP/Retail Banking Manager 
Centre 1st Bank
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Elizabeth Hay
Jack White Family Director 
Happy Valley LaunchBox
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Kristen Dzvonyicsak
Vice President, Division Manager 
Property Management, Inc.
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Kendy Alvarez
Mayor 
Borough of Lewisburg
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Bios
ELizabeth Hay
Elizabeth has more than 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur and consulting with small business owners. Her expertise includes business strategy, disaster recovery, scaling and de-risking growth companies, employee management, insurance compliance, accounting and bookkeeping, government contracting, bid and proposal writing, safety management and overall business management.
Elizabeth has worked with multiple SBIR awards and has training in DCAA contract accounting. Elizabeth has experience with woman owned and veteran owned business certifications, compliance, and bidding under those designations.
Elizabeth is the President of WiNGs, a State College based women entrepreneurs networking group, she teaches yoga in the State College area, and balances her SBDC career, owning a small business, and raising her 6 children with the help of her husband and co-owner of TechKnowServ Corp, Thomas Hay.
Elizabeth has worked with multiple SBIR awards and has training in DCAA contract accounting. Elizabeth has experience with woman owned and veteran owned business certifications, compliance, and bidding under those designations.
Elizabeth is the President of WiNGs, a State College based women entrepreneurs networking group, she teaches yoga in the State College area, and balances her SBDC career, owning a small business, and raising her 6 children with the help of her husband and co-owner of TechKnowServ Corp, Thomas Hay.
Kendy Alvarez
The Honorable Kendy Alvarez serves as the Mayor for the Borough of Lewisburg. She is a community builder who connects people, organizations, and systems throughout the Greater Susquehanna River Valley. Her love of the region can be heard on the podcast “The 570h” where she joins friends to discuss living, working, and playing in the 570.
Ms. Alvarez demystifies the real estate financing process for aspiring homeowners and investors. She is an advocate for entrepreneurship and innovation volunteering as part of the organizing team for 1 Million Cups Susquehanna. Her commitment to community and economic development is reflected in her board participation with Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and Lewisburg Neighborhoods as well as a volunteer with CommUnity Zone, Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition, Penn State Extension Ag Council, Evangelical Community Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Council, and the PA Outdoor Recreation Engagement Coalition.
Ms. Alvarez is a 2006 graduate of Bucknell University where she serves as President Emeritus of the Black Alumni Association.
Ms. Alvarez demystifies the real estate financing process for aspiring homeowners and investors. She is an advocate for entrepreneurship and innovation volunteering as part of the organizing team for 1 Million Cups Susquehanna. Her commitment to community and economic development is reflected in her board participation with Lewisburg Downtown Partnership and Lewisburg Neighborhoods as well as a volunteer with CommUnity Zone, Union-Snyder Hunger Coalition, Penn State Extension Ag Council, Evangelical Community Hospital Patient and Family Advisory Council, and the PA Outdoor Recreation Engagement Coalition.
Ms. Alvarez is a 2006 graduate of Bucknell University where she serves as President Emeritus of the Black Alumni Association.
Samuel Ryder
Sam is a Vice President and Business Banker with First National Bank. In this role, Sam manages a portfolio of existing client relationships and works to develop new business opportunities throughout the Susquehanna Valley.
Prior to joining First National Bank, Sam spent 17 years with Fulton Financial Corporation working in Consumer Banking and Small Business Lending. Sam is a 1996 graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned a degree in Business Management. He went on to complete his MBA at Pennsylvania State University in 2009. Sam is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Lancaster and 2013 graduate of Leadership Susquehanna Valley. He is active in the community serving as a teacher, volunteer and elder at his church, as the treasurer of the board of directors for Susquehanna Valley CASA – Voices for Children. He is also an adjunct professor and a member of the business advisory committee at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Sam is passionate about financial literacy and serves as a volunteer for Pennsylvania Council on Financial Literacy and as a facilitator of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
Prior to joining First National Bank, Sam spent 17 years with Fulton Financial Corporation working in Consumer Banking and Small Business Lending. Sam is a 1996 graduate of Shippensburg University where he earned a degree in Business Management. He went on to complete his MBA at Pennsylvania State University in 2009. Sam is a 2010 graduate of Leadership Lancaster and 2013 graduate of Leadership Susquehanna Valley. He is active in the community serving as a teacher, volunteer and elder at his church, as the treasurer of the board of directors for Susquehanna Valley CASA – Voices for Children. He is also an adjunct professor and a member of the business advisory committee at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. Sam is passionate about financial literacy and serves as a volunteer for Pennsylvania Council on Financial Literacy and as a facilitator of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
Alan Dakey
Alan Dakey has greatly enjoyed his career as a community banker which began with a summer banking job at The Dime Bank in Honesdale and has included 20-plus years as a CEO of three Pennsylvania-based community banks including Mid Penn Bank and Peoples Neighborhood Bank in Hallstead PA. Mr. Dakey most recently served as President and CEO of the Bank of Bird-In-Hand, a de-novo bank located in Lancaster County, PA.
He currently serves as President of Brighter Financial Futures, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide K-12 students with economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship skills that elevate their standard of living, quality of life, and professional success.
Alan has been active in community activities, having served as a School Board Director of the Millersburg Area School District, a Director of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, and a former member of the Boards of the Honesdale, Harrisburg Area, and Scranton Area YMCAs.
He currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Bloomsburg University- Ziegler College of Business and as a Co-chair of the Pennsylvanian Bankers Association Retired Bankers Program. He has been active in a number of nonprofit organizations, including The United Way, Countryside Conservancy and various chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.
Alan holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Scranton, a BS in Accounting from Bloomsburg University and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Pennsylvania Bankers School of Banking.
He currently serves as President of Brighter Financial Futures, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide K-12 students with economics, personal finance, and entrepreneurship skills that elevate their standard of living, quality of life, and professional success.
Alan has been active in community activities, having served as a School Board Director of the Millersburg Area School District, a Director of the Pennsylvania Bankers Association, and a former member of the Boards of the Honesdale, Harrisburg Area, and Scranton Area YMCAs.
He currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Bloomsburg University- Ziegler College of Business and as a Co-chair of the Pennsylvanian Bankers Association Retired Bankers Program. He has been active in a number of nonprofit organizations, including The United Way, Countryside Conservancy and various chambers of commerce and economic development organizations.
Alan holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Scranton, a BS in Accounting from Bloomsburg University and is a graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and the Pennsylvania Bankers School of Banking.
CINDY CONRON
I am the Retail Banking Manager at Centre 1 st Bank in State College, PA, managing existing clients, while working to develop new customer relationships. I’ve been working in the banking industry for over 21 years. Prior to that I worked for a local insurance agency selling property and casualty insurance. I also worked as a claims adjuster for Kemper Insurance.
I’ve been active in community activities, volunteering for the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee, Coaches vs Cancer Golf Tournament, United Way Funds Distribution, Toys-For-Tots and the Salvation Army “We are the Kettle Campaign”.
I’ve been active in community activities, volunteering for the Boalsburg Memorial Day Committee, Coaches vs Cancer Golf Tournament, United Way Funds Distribution, Toys-For-Tots and the Salvation Army “We are the Kettle Campaign”.
Kristen Dzvonyicsak
Kristen Dzvonyicsak is the Vice President, Division Manager for PMI in State College’s residential office.
Leading her team, she is responsible for directing the management of a variety of types of housing,
providing personal and professional property management service to property owners and residents
alike. Her profile covers over 1,000 rentals from Student Housing, Conventional Housing, & Condo
Associations to Affordable Housing properties. She is a licensed Real Estate Associate Broker and a
Certified Property Manager (CPM). She is a graduate of the Class of 2020 for Leadership Centre County
and served on the Patton Twp. Affordable Housing Task Force.
A State College native, Kristen is incredibly invested in the community. She currently serves on the
Patton Twp. Planning Commission, and she is a long-time volunteer of various local organizations in the
area, with a strong affection for helping animals in need. Kristen leads with professionalism, a
compassionate heart, and a wholehearted dedication to making a positive impact in the community.
Leading her team, she is responsible for directing the management of a variety of types of housing,
providing personal and professional property management service to property owners and residents
alike. Her profile covers over 1,000 rentals from Student Housing, Conventional Housing, & Condo
Associations to Affordable Housing properties. She is a licensed Real Estate Associate Broker and a
Certified Property Manager (CPM). She is a graduate of the Class of 2020 for Leadership Centre County
and served on the Patton Twp. Affordable Housing Task Force.
A State College native, Kristen is incredibly invested in the community. She currently serves on the
Patton Twp. Planning Commission, and she is a long-time volunteer of various local organizations in the
area, with a strong affection for helping animals in need. Kristen leads with professionalism, a
compassionate heart, and a wholehearted dedication to making a positive impact in the community.
AGENDA
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