Entrepreneurial spirits have a chance to shine once again as Penn State Mont Alto hosts its sixth annual LION Tank™ competition at 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 22.
LION Tank™ is an annual pitch competition hosted by the Mont Alto LaunchBox. This year’s event is a hybrid event — held in person in the campus’ auditorium as well as remotely via Zoom.
During the competition, contestants will pitch their business plans and field questions from a panel of judges. Following all the presentations, the judges will confer to determine the winners.
Individuals and teams, be they students or members of the local community, interested in competing in this year’s LION Tank™ must apply by midnight March 1 by going to https://montalto.launchbox.psu.edu/lion-tank-applications/. Applicants will be notified a week later if they are advancing to this exciting “Shark Tank”-like competition.
This year’s prize money has been increased to provide even more incentive and value to the competitors who place.
The top three entrepreneurs will receive prizes of $2,000, $1,250, and $750 respectively, as well as one year’s access to the Mont Alto LaunchBox, where they will have access to additional services to help bring their products or services to the marketplace.
Carley Furlow won second place in the 2021 LION Tank™ competition. She said the event changed her life.
“LION Tank has benefited my life tremendously. Not only did winning second place and getting funding help, but I also made some lifelong friends. LION Tank brings you together with other entrepreneurs who can relate to the things that you are going through. I recommend LION Tank to any entrepreneur, at any stage,” Furlow said.
The Mont Alto LaunchBox ― one of 21 innovation spaces at the Commonwealth Campuses ― opened in 2018 and is part of Invent Penn State, a broader Penn State initiative to promote entrepreneurship and innovation across Pennsylvania. The Invent Penn State Innovation Network provides free educational and technical support for local entrepreneurs and connects them to the resources they need to get started.
The public is invited to be part of the audience. While there is no cost to watch, community members are asked to register, which puts them in the running for door prizes.
For more information, go to montalto.launchbox.psu.edu/lion-tank/ or call Helen McGarry, LaunchBox director, at 717-749-4118.
