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Invent Penn State: Program helping start-up businesses take off
Sydney Gibbard, a Penn State sophomore, can still remember the poster that caught her eye and completely changed the trajectory of her “business.” Walking through her dorm lobby last year, an oversized Invent Penn State sign beckoned her with business help and a chance at a $15,000 grant. Intrigued, Gibbard decided to look into Invent Penn State — a statewide initiative to spur economic development and job creation — and what followed was the establishment of a nonprofit, a board of directors and unprecedented growth. All in one summer. As a high school junior, Gibbard and a friend had started a weeklong summer camp to inspire disadvantaged 8- to 12-year-old…