Penn State Berks LaunchBox Announces Lifestyle Pitch Competition Winners

From Penn State Berks

Pictured above: Winners of the Lifestyle Pitch Competition pose with Berks LaunchBox staff, from left to right: Berks LaunchBox staff member Michelle Hnath; competition winners Alison Woo, Brooklyn Smith-Jones, and Philip Tietbohl; Seth Shriner, LaunchBox coach; James Hong, LaunchBox Makerspace coordinator; and Erica Kunkel, LaunchBox director. Photo provided

The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently announced the pitch winners of its summer 2025 Lifestyle Pitch Competition. Prizes awarded totaled $2,000 in seed funding, plus an additional $1,000 awarded to the remaining pitch contestants through $125 micro-grants and support from its law clinic to help register an LLC or put the funds toward other business needs.

Brooklyn Smith-Jones, owner of BK Shanae Candle Co., is the first-place winner of the competition. Located in Lancaster, PA, BK Shanae Candle Co. is a mobile candle-pouring business that produces coconut-soy candles using toxin-free fragrances. The company offers more than 30 scents.  In addition to their line of candles, the business also offers candle pouring workshops, providing customers with the experience of making their own candles. Smith-Jones is planning to use the $1,000 prize money toward her ultimate goal of opening a brick-and-mortar storefront.

Philip Tietbohl, owner of Poetry That Works, took second place in the competition. Located in Reading, PA, Tietbohl is an international poet-performer who delivers interactive performances for all ages in libraries, schools, and nursing homes. He also offers clinical training for professionals.  Each performance includes the creation of a group poem, which he explained, “results in a new moment in time, told in rhyme.”  Tietbohl’s poetry has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and self-published books. With his $600 prize money, he plans to deliver programs to local schools and donate books to Opportunity House in Reading.

Alison Woo, owner of Alison Woo Designs, took third place in the competition. Located in Reading, PA, Woo provides one-of-a-kind handcrafted luxury jewelry catering to brides seeking a timeless heirloom and professional women wanting to express their personal styles at work and social events. Woo is a second-generation maker, utilizing industry expertise to design handcrafted jewelry pieces from ethically sourced semi-precious stones and luxury metals. With her $400 prize money, she plans to create a store app aimed at educating customers on stone qualities, increasing brand awareness and lead generation.

The competition began with entrepreneurs submitting a short application describing their business concept. They also learned how to develop a product pitch to share their startup idea with investors, advisers, and others, and they were invited to practice and polish their pitches with Berks LaunchBox staff. For the grand finale, they pitched their business ideas to Berks LaunchBox Advisory Council members and advisers for additional feedback, networking, and an opportunity to secure seed funding.

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, the LaunchBox connects local early-stage 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 co-working space for startups, meetups focused on business development, 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