Berks LaunchBox , an innovation hub of Penn State Berks, has announced the first five recipients of the “IMAGINE Your Business” grant. Funded by the county’s Imagine Berks Fund, the grant provides up to $2,000 to early-stage entrepreneurs to support various business needs such as prototyping, marketing and product development. LaunchBox officials said the recipients, whose business ideas span diverse industries, have demonstrated exceptional potential and a clear vision for addressing market needs.
Berks LaunchBox provided this list of grant recipients: • CatapalloVR , founded by Kryn McClain, is a software service company that offers virtual platforms to service providers to help neurodiverse youth and young adults learn new skills through video modules. CatapalloVR plans to use the grant to attend a national trade show to promote its virtual reality platform and expand its reach to a broader audience. • Erival LLC offers a luxurious, eco-friendly and skin-respectful bathing experience with artisanal handcrafted soaps that do not contain toxic chemicals.
The products are made using sustainable practices, with a focus on personalized customer experiences and artistic presentation. Founder Erika Valdez plans to use the grant for marketing and creating custom packaging. She also plans to participate in trade fairs.
• KissUX is pioneering an accessible prototyping application to turn the app design process into a scalable, repeatable and consistent experience for startup product teams, early-stage UI/UX designers and developers. The platform empowers users, regardless of their design experience and ability level, to transform app ideas into clickable prototypes quickly and efficiently. Founder Vera Hempel plans to use the grant to create tutorials for users and website updates.
• Mindful Roots Children , founded by Karen Tripolitis, provides school staff with the training necessary to teach elementary students a 10-minute program aimed at enhancing social and emotional learning to help create peaceful learning environments and foster connected classroom communities. The company plans to use the grant to offset the cost of creating artwork for an activity card deck, part of its training package. • WarrantyClick, founded by Tom Wentling, provides a one-time registration for warranty registration and recall notification.
This solution allows consumers to input personal data one time and register all their products. The company will use the grant to hire a UX expert to improve the user experience for the app he is building. As part of the award, recipients are required to submit a one-page report on the use and impact of the funds within six months.
This accountability ensures the funds are used effectively and provides valuable insights into the program’s impact on the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, officials said. Applications for the next funding period for grants are due Aug. 30.
Applicants are required to build a business model canvas and make an appointment and review it with Berks LaunchBox staff. For more information on the “ IMAGINE Your Business ” grant and other initiatives, go to Berks LaunchBox..
