Penn State News

Small business owners, entrepreneurs, students and community members gathered at Penn State Lehigh Valley on March 27 for a hands-on workshop exploring how artificial intelligence can be used to strengthen business strategy, improve decision-making and expand capacity for small teams.

As a kickoff to Penn State Startup Week, six student teams pitched their startups to a panel of judges, competing for prizes totaling $35,500 in funding in the 2026 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition. SlammedU, a startup founded by Smeal College of Business student Niklas Restrepo, won first place and $15,000.

Penn State has named the inaugural Innovation to Impact Awards recipients, recognizing faculty, researchers, entrepreneurs and partners whose work exemplifies the University’s commitment to translating research into real-world impact. 

The latest episode of Invent Penn State’s "Dare to Disrupt" podcast features Jackie Foor, executive director of the Consortium for Public Education. The consortium is a nonprofit that connects schools with partners and resources to help students prepare for their futures. 

Penn State is strengthening western Pennsylvania’s innovation, manufacturing and workforce ecosystem — which includes collaborative research, education, training and production efforts — by aligning the Penn State Digital Foundry and the New Kensington LaunchBox powered by Penn State more directly within its central research and innovation enterprise.