Join the Smeal Philly Club as they host their annual discussion panel featuring Penn State "movers and shakers" in the entrepreneurship community in Philadelphia. Enjoy networking followed by an open panel discussion from PSU alumni from all parts of the entrepreneurship ecosystem.
This Event is Sponsored by the Smeal Philadelphia Business Club, PSU Alumni Career Services & Benjamin's Desk Co-Working Facilities
Meet our Panelists!
- Peter Whalen: Peter Whalen is a Clinical Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship at Penn State Smeal and also the Managing Director of the Garber Venture Fund, which provides MBA students with the opportunity to evaluate business opportunities and issue funding, is on the precipice of several dynamic changes. Peter is also the co-director of the Lion Launch Pad. Peter came to Penn State from University of Denver in 2015.
- About the Garber Venture Fund: Established in 1999 by John Garber and his wife, Bette, the $5 million venture fund supports private equity investing in early stage companies. The fund is just one of the many entrepreneurial opportunities housed in Smeal’s Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
- David Kurtz: Dave Kurtz is a very active angel investor in Philadelphia, having investing in many technology companies over the years, focused on business software. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board, Robin Hood Ventures, one of the oldest and most successful angel groups in Philadelphia. Prior to technology investing, Dave was a partner in an venture funded capital markets software company that successfully exited, and started and successfully exited a recruiting and staffing company. These were all Philadelphia area based companies. Dave is a proud Penn Stater and received his MBA from Smeal in 1992, completing the full-time two year program with Beta Gamma Sigma honors in University Park, with a concentration in Finance. His youngest daughter is a Freshman at University Park. His favorite Creamery flavor is Peachy Paterno, his favorite finance professor Randy Woolridge, and favorite bar the Skeller.
- Elyse Lupin: Elyse Lupin is a Smeal Marketing graduate with over 14 years of marketing experience with major brands such as Comcast, The Walt Disney Company, NBC, and New Balance Athletic Shoe. She also held the position of Director of Marketing for Philadelphia Magazine prior to starting her own marketing firm in early 2015. She now owns and manages Elysium Marketing Group, a strategic marketing company in the Greater Philadelphia area helping businesses with their marketing creative and digital marketing strategies.
- Brad Denenberg: Brad Denenberg is a seriel entreprenuer in Philadelphia. He is the man behind startup incubator Seed Philly and Philadelphia's New Technology Meetup. Recently, he launched his new company dubbed Decibly - a fan-engagement tool for use in live concert venues. Brad graduated from Penn State in 2000 with a B.S. in Finance & International Business.
- Karla Trotman: Karla Trotman is a '98 Supply Chain and 3rd generation entrepreneur. She started online store BellyButtonBoutique.com while working full-time seven years ago. Currently, Karla is also in the process of taking over her family's 29-year old electronics manufacturing firm, Electro Soft, Inc.
- Paul Girgis: Paul Girgis is the Entrepreneurship Liaison for Invent Penn State, a commonwealth-wide initiative for entrepreneurship and economic development. He acts as a connector and communicator between the variety of entrepreneurial stakeholders - students, faculty, administrators, and community members - across the ecosystem in Happy Valley. Though he graduated from PSU in ’15 with a degree in Biobehavioral Health, he found business and entrepreneurship to be incredibly more interesting than a linear route to medical school.
Moderated By: Melissa Schipke - 09' Marketing graduate of Smeal and Co-Founder of Tassl - Alumni Engagement Technologies.
