Mon Valley LaunchBox debuts in McKeesport

By JEFF STITT
jstitt@yourmvi.com
Anyone with a dream of starting a small business but can’t quite figure out how can turn to the newly formed Mon Valley Launchbox.
Several area elected officials, Penn State Greater Allegheny officials, Penn State President Dr. Eric J. Barron and community members from across the Mon-Yough Valley came together on Wednesday for the ribbon-cutting of the Mon Valley Launchbox powered by PSUGA.
Funded by seed grants from Penn State’s main campus, the Jefferson Regional Foundation and money raised by the launchboxes co-facilitators Aaron Whigham and Eric Ewell, the facility is located on the third floor of the City of McKeesport’s Common Ground Building, the former home of the YWCA on Ninth Street.
The launchbox provides budding entrepreneurs with educational seminars and workshops that focus on formulating business plans and getting their new businesses off the ground running. Through the launchbox, those entrepreneurs are exposed to marketing and advertising specialists, “successful” business leaders, Penn State educators, area lawyers who volunteer to provide legal guidance and a physical space to create or market their product or service, according to PSUGA Chancellor Dr. Jacqueline Edmondson.
The launchbox’s physical amenities offer conference and office spaces to those who hope to start and run their own business, but the facility also includes classroom and computer lab spaces as well as a commercial kitchen.

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