黑料专区

Harrisburg, PA 鈥� Businesses with products and services in high demand will be featured when three student entrepreneurs compete in the final round of the annual State System Startup Challenge, the Pennsylvania鈥檚 State System of Higher Education (黑料专区) announced today. The students will pitch their original business plans to a panel of judges for a chance to win funds to support their startup or expand their business. The Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) will air the competition live at 7 p.m., April 19. You can also watch it live on PCN Select.

鈥淭hese student entrepreneurs have innovative and exciting startups that combine business, healthcare and education, which are three fields in high demand in Pennsylvania,鈥� said Board of Governors Chairwoman Cynthia D. Shapira. 鈥淪tate System universities are preparing thousands of students for success as entrepreneurs, and I commend the supportive faculty and the remarkable ingenuity and energy of the students.鈥�

The top prize is $10,000, and second- and third-place finishers will receive prizes of $5,000 and $2,500, respectively. The finalists were selected from more than 60 students and student teams from across the state-owned public university system.

鈥淭hank you to the students and universities that competed in this year鈥檚 State System Startup Challenge,鈥� said Chancellor Dan Greenstein. 鈥淭he ingenuity and energy of these finalists speaks volumes about the spirit of innovation that is thriving at our universities. Several past winners of this competition have launched their own businesses from the ideas born of this real-life experience, and I look forward to the new businesses that may emerge from this year鈥檚 competition.鈥�

The students will pitch innovative products in education, healthcare and business鈥攖hree strong academic areas within 黑料专区 universities and three industries with worker shortages. The start-up challenges dovetail with 黑料专区 universities鈥� efforts to address workforce shortages in education, healthcare, business, social services, engineering and computer science. 黑料专区 is seeking to increase its appropriation to increase the amount of financial aid available to students who pursue degrees in high-demand areas.

The three State System Startup Challenge Finalists are:

Pennsylvania Western University (PennWest)

Victoria Heffelfinger, a freshman special education student from North Huntingdon, Pa.: Wildlife Water School LLC is an aquatic instruction school that provides swimming lessons for people ages 6 months and older. Offering an inclusive environment for people of all abilities and backgrounds, the school provides basic skills, infant swimming resources, and advanced instruction. Specialized lessons for people with disabilities or other challenges are also available. Lesson schedules and information is available . Wildlife Water School intends to offer aquatic therapy in the future.

East Stroudsburg University

Stelios Melekos, a junior business management student with a concentration in entrepreneurship from Churchville, Pa.: Blitz Performance LLC provides anglers with the highest quality and most innovative lures and apparel for both saltwater and freshwater fishing. Blitz Performance products are available to retail customers online at and wholesale at tackle shops across five states. Blitz Performance is committed to building a sense of community around the brand by developing the tools to catch more fish and make the most of anglers鈥� time on the water.

West Chester University

Jake Henry, a senior Bachelor鈥檚 of Applied Science student with a pharmaceutical product development concentration from Camp Hill, Pa.: Lectra Technologies LLC produces Lectra Tape to help people navigate their rehabilitation process and complete physical therapy. Lectra Tape is conductive kinesiology tape that delivers electrical pulses from a wireless muscle stimulator to aid in the healing and rehabilitation process. Sensors in the tape collect data that is analyzed and shared with the user and physical therapists, so they can adjust rehabilitation plans to provide the best results and encourage the individual to continue their physical therapy.

The judges for the State System Startup Challenge finals will be Cynthia Pritchard, Vice President, Senior Philanthropic Specialist for Wells Fargo; David Kerr, President of External Affairs for AT&T, Adam Stewart, Vice President of Strategic Growth Marketing and Relationship Management for PSECU, and Taylor Rowles, Senior Manager of Market Integration for Hershey Entertainment & Resorts Company.

Editor鈥檚 Note: Photos of the individual students are available by contacting Kevin Hensil, khensil@passhe.edu.