From Penn State Berks
Pictured above are the winners of the Berks LaunchBox IdeaTest Lab competition. From left to right: Jen Kutchner and Ruby Rodriguez of The Gilded Page; Heather Heltzinger of Renaissance Labs; Hallie Guiseppe of HT Organic Solutions; and Andrea George of Heintz Tax Service. Photo courtesy of Samantha Bower
The Berks LaunchBox, powered by Penn State, recently announced the winners of its Idea TestLab Pitch Competition in an award ceremony held on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Renaissance Labs earned first place, HT Organic Solutions took second place, and Heintz Tax Service placed third. In addition, this year’s Advisor’s Spotlight Award was presented to Jen Kutchner and Ruby Rodriguez of the Gilded Page.
This year, seven entrepreneur teams competed in the competition, which was sponsored by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA, the County of Berks, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Prior to the competition, each of the seven teams participated in the accelerator program over the course of five weeks, where they received coaching to test their business ideas through customer discovery. The entrepreneurs met with potential customers, identified their target audience and value proposition, and created pitches. The program concluded with the pitch competition, where teams competed for seed funding to continue their business development.
Heather Heltzinger, founder of Renaissance Labs, received $1,000 in seed funding. Heltzinger pitched her product, Randy.ai, which helps those taking water- and wastewater-operator tests study, learn, and pass their exams. Randy.ai is built by licensed operators and trained on real EPA and DEP standards.
Hallie Guiseppe, founder of HT Organic Solutions, took second place, receiving $600 in seed funding. Guiseppe pitched the Pocket Gofer, an AI software solution that helps farmers build stronger, more resilient businesses. Pocket Gofer captures farm activity as it happens, helping small family farmers save time and maintain accurate records at a budget-friendly price point.
Andrea George, CEO of Heintz Tax Service, took third place and received $400 in seed funding. George pitched the Financial Fitness Program, designed to help everyday people learn how to take control of their money, their mindset, and ultimately, their future.
In addition to the top three competition winners selected by the judges, Berks LaunchBox advisers presented an Advisors’ Spotlight Award to the team they believed deserved recognition for standing out during the pitches — whether through creativity, clarity, or potential impact. This year’s Advisor’s Spotlight Award was presented to Jen Kutchner and Ruby Rodriguez of the Gilded Page, a Reading-based startup working to develop a curated book bar and creative studio combining thoughtful food and beverage selections with an ongoing calendar of events.
Competition judges included Jobany Bedoya, owner of Diversity Mixers and Red Tie Affairs LLC; Erika Swift, operations director for Penn State’s College of Medicine’s Center for Medical Innovation; and Adrean Turner, author, coach, and owner of Legacy Cigar Lounge and adjunct professor of business at Alvernia and Widener Universities.
About the Berks LaunchBox
The mission of Berks LaunchBox, located in Suite 105 of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in downtown Reading, is to support economic development and entrepreneurship. An innovation hub of Penn State Berks, Berks LaunchBox connects local entrepreneurs to the support, resources, and facilities that they need to build sustainable and scalable businesses with a viable plan for growth. Services include assistance with prototyping, conducting market research, and connecting with advisers. Berks LaunchBox offers entrepreneurship workshops, a coworking space for startups, meetups focused on business development, and a makerspace with 3D printers for prototyping and special youth programs.
Berks LaunchBox is supported by Invent Penn State — a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation, and student career success. For more information, visit berkslaunchbox.psu.edu.
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Source: bctv