IMPACT THE WORLD
INVESTING IN OUR ECONOMY AND OUR ENTREPRENEURS The University and its supporters are partnering to drive innovation, create jobs and business, and lead the way to a brighter future.
THE BARDUSCH FAMILY IDEAMAKERS CHALLENGE
President Barron and participants at the 2019 Startup Week
The culminating event of Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC may have been virtual this year, but the excitement was real. Not only did the celebration recognize student entrepreneurs and innovators who have placed or advanced in University-wide challenges and competitions during Startup Week and throughout the academic year—it also provided an opportunity for President Barron to announce a new endowment supporting the IdeaMakers Challenge, a pitch competition sponsored by the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Alumni Bob and Susan Bardusch leveraged University support through the Economic Development Incentive Matching Program in making their gift to IST. Bob serves on the Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Barduschs’ daughters, Victoria, and Alexandra are both recent graduates of the college. The family appreciates IST’s commitment to encouraging innovation and leadership. “Entrepreneurship is the way of the present and certainly the way of the future,” says Susan Bardusch. “Enabling students to be able to do something with their idea, and not just talk about it in a classroom setting, is very rewarding for them, for the University, and for us.”
LOOKING AHEAD Gifts to support Invent Penn State’s LaunchBox and Innovation Hub Network, as well as select economic development initiatives across the Commonwealth, remain a priority in the last year of the campaign. Two opportunities to leverage University funds—the LaunchBox Matching Program and the Economic Development Matching Program—are available through June 30, 2022, or until the pool of support is exhausted. To learn more about how to make a gift and secure a match, please contact Heather Winfield at hbw11@psu.edu.
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