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Westminster College Opens Student Entrepreneurship Lab at LindenPointe

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Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2018

Westminster College celebrated the official opening of the Westminster Entrepreneurship Lab (WEL)—a new entrepreneurial incubator and creativity lab. A ribbon cutting ceremony for the WEL on Friday, April 27 from 3-5 p.m. at the eCenter@LindenPointe (eCenter) located in Hermitage, PA.

The WEL is directed by Dr. David Brauer, Westminster College’s Sheller-Edwards Entrepreneur in Residence and Visiting Assistant Professor in the School of Business.

“I had received many inquiries from our students about the possibility of starting their own businesses,” explained Brauer. “WEL will give these students the possibility of graduating from college with their degree and their own business.”

Four Westminster students are working toward that goal in the Westminster suite in the eCenter@LindenPointe, a technology-based incubator located in LindenPointe Innovative Business Campus in Hermitage, PA. The center is committed to promoting innovation and entrepreneurship by providing a supportive environment, including infrastructure, education, training, mentorship, and a network of service providers.

CJ Armstrong, a business administration major, is the founder of the National Esport Federation. Armstrong’s idea is to create an organization that will govern all collegiate gaming, including organizing seasonal leagues for colleges to compete against each other.

Alexander “AJ” Bove, an accounting major, is working to start a business based on a product he developed. Bove’s X Glove Enhancers are glove liners worn under lacrosse, hockey or goalkeeper gloves in order to wick away moisture and enhance sports performance by increasing the coefficient of friction between the human hand and the sports glove itself.

Kaitlyn Nicholson, a solo alternative-pop artist who goes by “Katie Joy,” is a business administration major is using WEL resources to adapt her music into a method of steady income through performing, writing and producing.

Bobby Noble, a business administration major, is working to launch Noble Regeneration Labs, which he describes as a one-stop-shop health optimization center. Noble’s business is centered on the goal of making it fun, easy, and efficient to take care of your body.

Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the eCenter and Westminster, the students are surrounded by mentors guiding them through the entrepreneur process.

“Through the Westminster Entrepreneur Lab, I’ve learned how much a personal network of contacts can influence my future,” said Bove. 

Once the student’s businesses grow, they have the option of setting up permanent shop in the area. “Our region is rich in resources but so badly needing an infusion of economic growth,” explained Brauer. “Providing a space where creativity is encouraged and where businesses can be born and flourish will give the region what it needs to attract the best and brightest.”

For more information regarding the Westminster College Entrepreneurship Lab, contact Dr. David Brauer at brauerdb@westminster.edu or 724-946-7161.