Posted on February 12, 2023 by Heather Adams

Berks LaunchBox Receives $53K Grant from County of Berks for Equipment

by Penn State Berks

Berks LaunchBox Receives $53K Grant from County of Berks for Equipment

The Berks LaunchBox powered by Penn State recently received a $53,000 grant from the County of Berks. Working with Furniture Soup, Berks LaunchBox will use most of the funding to revamp the coworking space with new desks, storage, and sound dampening, and to add a small meeting space for entrepreneurs to work collaboratively. The funds will also be used to purchase new laptops, makerspace materials and a 3D scanner to support computer-aided design and modeling of prototypes, as well as workshops on how to use this valuable software and hardware.

“These funds would go a long way to supporting early-stage startups and entrepreneurs in Reading, helping them to de-risk their startup and scale their business successfully,” states Erica Kunkel, director of Berks LaunchBox and continuing education at Penn State Berks.

The grant is part of the county’s IMAGINE Berks Strategic Economic Development Action Plan. The plan includes six areas of focus, with one focus being small business and entrepreneurship. A key strategy in the plan is to support small businesses working to scale their operations to increase efficiency and achieve exponential growth.

“The County’s IMAGINE Berks plan is focused on building up a foundation and resources that will allow our community to grow and thrive,” stated Berks County Commissioner Michael Rivera. “This grant will bolster the incredible work that Berks LaunchBox is already doing and will help further fuel and support our local entrepreneurs.”

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Community Testimonials

Wish my town had a channel like this, very cool idea to bring the community together and give people a platform.

James

I wanted to thank you again for the opportunity you have created for our kids.  This experience is more than the TV show.  Eight students who probably never would have talked to each other were excited to execute a plan. Know that you make a difference.

Kristi

Thanks for your commitment to communication far and wide, for your technical support, and tireless efforts to bring fresh programs to BCTV. Bravo!

Liz

Thank you for always being receptive to my ideas. All of your efforts help me to help others and that is a blessing to me.

Adrean

Fantastic work and thanks so much for the quick turnaround!  Always a pleasure to work with you and the rest of the BCTV team!

Jim

Thank you and your staff for all you do to accommodate so many different shows, personalities, etc.!  Can’t be easy, but we really do appreciate it.

Martha

I am happy and proud to be a part of such a dedicated assembly of talent and purpose. Thank you for being a part of my efforts to promote theater and the arts in this region.

David