MONT ALTO — Entrepreneurs will have a chance to test out their ideas at the winter 2022 Idea TestLab, sponsored by Harrisburg LaunchBox, Mont Alto LaunchBox and York LaunchBox.
Applications are being accepted through Jan. 10, 2022, for this free, five-week, virtual accelerator designed to help entrepreneurs determine the viability of their business idea.
No affiliation with Penn State is required for participation, and any Pennsylvania-based entrepreneur is welcome to apply.
Idea TestLab was a lifesaver for budding entrepreneur and winter 2021 Idea TestLab winner, Carley Furlow, 20, of Harrisburg. Furlow was 18 when she and her father were watching “Shark Tank” on television and her big idea to make assistive devices for musicians was formed.
“I knew I had this great idea and a model that I made by hand out of a tub of clay, but I didn’t know what to do next,” Furlow said.
Someone suggested that she visit the Harrisburg LaunchBox where she was introduced to Annie Hughes, director of Harrisburg LaunchBox. “She told me that I should do the Idea TestLab to make sure my business idea worked and that it wasn’t too niche,” Furlow remembered.
“Idea TestLab is best for individuals or teams who have identified a problem (or idea) they want to work on but have not yet systematically collected data to validate the problem/need. It’s a great resource for early-stage entrepreneurs,” Hughes said.
The Idea TestLab comprises weekly online classes and one-on-one coaching support and concludes with a final elevator pitch competition where participants pitch to win up to $3,000 in seed funding sponsored by Mont Alto LaunchBox.
The program starts on Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2022, from 6-8 p.m. and runs consecutively for the next four Tuesdays, ending in a virtual pitch competition on March 4, 2022, from 5:30-8 p.m.
For more information, log onto: https://harrisburg.launchbox.psu.edu/idea-testlab/, or call Helen McGarry, interim director of Mont Alto LaunchBox at 717-749-4118.
