Posts by Laura Eppler

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  1. BFTP CEO Presents at BIDA

    BFTP_NEPA President and CEO Angelo J. Valletta presented at the Berwick Industrial Development Association (BIDA) 60th anniversary celebration on July 12. Describing Ben Franklin’s work, Valletta cited client, OPTiMO Information Technology, Bloomsburg, which had two employees when they first received a Ben Franklin investment and now employ 100. OPTiMO is an IT consulting firm specializing Continue Reading…

  2. Inside Pennsylvania’s Tech Renaissance

    Pennsylvania played a starring role in the industrial revolution, which explains why so many people still associate the state with its industrial roots. But the entrepreneurial spirit woven into Pennsylvania’s DNA, as well as a strategic decision in the 1980s to substantially invest in tech-based economic development, has given way to a thriving tech scene that rivals Continue Reading…

  3. State Budget Includes Investments in Innovation

    The state’s 2022-23 General Fund budget provides an additional $2.5 million in funding for the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority (BFTDA), which funds Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP), a statewide economic development initiative that invests in and supports high-tech entrepreneurs and startups and innovative manufacturers. Read more.

  4. Installation of LifeAire Systems Part of LV Airport’s Federal Grant

    The installation of the transformational LifeAire Systems air purification units is part of Lehigh Valley International Airport’s $5 million federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act grant. Ben Franklin client LifeAire Systems’ patented commercial air purification solutions provide a 24×7 kill/remediation that eradicates 99.99% of infectious airborne pathogens in a single pass. The systems have proven and published efficacy Continue Reading…

  5. Ben Franklin Appoints Dannah Hartman as Marketing Associate/Manager

    The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania has announced the appointment of Dannah Hartman to Marketing Associate/Manager. She will work alongside Laura Eppler, Chief Marketing Officer. Before coming to Ben Franklin, Hartman worked in various marketing and fundraising roles in the human services non-profit sector, including as Director of Marketing and Communications for Community Continue Reading…

  6. Nexii is Betting on Sustainable Construction – NY Times

    Although we don’t often associate climate change with buildings and construction, they are responsible for almost 40 percent of global energy-related carbon emissions, according to the United Nations. About 30 percent of these emissions come from building operations (primarily heating, cooling and lighting), and another 11 percent is “embodied” carbon, or carbon released during the construction process itself. Nexii leverages Continue Reading…

  7. Ben Franklin Announces Expansion of Solutions Network

    BFTP_NEPA Appoints Nicholas Yarnall and Promotes JoeAnn Comunale                                 The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP_NEPA) distinguishes itself with its enterprise-wide support of early-stage technology firms and established manufacturers. Described as BFTP_NEPA’s “secret sauce,” The Ben Franklin Solutions Continue Reading…

  8. Ben Franklin TechVentures Virtual Tour Available for Viewing

    The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP_NEPA) technology business incubator, Ben Franklin TechVentures®, is a two-time winner of the International Business Innovation Association’s Incubator of the Year Award. See what makes TechVentures among the world’s best! BFTP_NEPA presented a Ben Franklin TechVentures virtual tour on May 31, 2022. Ben Franklin TechVentures is located on Continue Reading…

  1. Grovara Wins Philadelphia PACT Enterprise Award

    Grovara won the Philadelphia PACT’s Emerging Technology Company of the Year at the May 24 Enterprise Award ceremony. Launched at Ben Franklin TechVentures, Ben Franklin NEP client Grovara is the leading B2B global marketplace for wellness brands, connecting natural and organic brands with international retailers. The Grovara platform streamlines the entire process, from product discovery Continue Reading…

  2. Ben Franklin to Invest $150,000 in the Regional Economy

    The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s (BFTP_NEPA) Board of Directors has approved the investment of $150,000 in support of regional economic development. Five companies from BFTP_NEPA’s 21-county service area received funding. BFTP_NEPA announces the following early-stage company investment, which is provided in the form of loans with warrants. Molcube, LLC, Ben Franklin TechVentures, Continue Reading…

  3. EcoTech Marine Featured on PBS39/WLVT Lehigh Valley Rising

    Ben Franklin client EcoTech Marine is featured in Episode 9 of PBS39/WLVT’s Lehigh Valley Rising show that highlights regional lighting companies. WATCH HERE.

  4. Watch the Ben Franklin iXchange Video!

    Watch the iXchange video here. More information about the program and sponsors is here.  The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP_NEPA) presented its annual iXchange virtually at 3:30 PM on Wednesday afternoon, May 18, 2022. This year’s iXchange theme was Innovators: Past, Present, and Future. It included the presentation of six innovation awards Continue Reading…

  5. Report: Ben Franklin Tech Partners created hundreds of jobs in our region

    The Ben Franklin Technology Partners is showing it’s still making quite an impact in Pennsylvania with its 2021 economic impact report. It’s one of the nation’s longest running tech-based economic development programs with one of the largest incubator networks. “We do that by investing and supporting early-stage organizations. Secondly, we do that by supporting new Continue Reading…

  6. Ben Franklin CMO Laura Eppler Appears on “Marketing Champs”

    Each week on “Marketing Champs,” hosts talk to media experts across the country.  On May 2, Laura Eppler, BFTP’s Chief Marketing Officer, was the guest with host Howard Wolpoff. Via Daily Ad Brief.

  7. Mussel Power

    Ben Franklin client Mussel Polymers mimics the protein chemistry used in mussels in its hunt for glues that are super-strong, non-toxic, and that stick under water or inside the body. The polystyrene system is the basis of a start-up company called Mussel Polymers (MPI) (musselpolymers.com). With labs in Ben Franklin TechVentures, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, MPI has Continue Reading…

  8. Congressman Dan Meuser Visits Bloomsburg Regional Technology Center

    Congressman Dan Meuser visited the Bloomsburg Regional Technology Center (BRTC) business incubator, which is owned and managed by the Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP_NEPA), on Friday, April 22. He and his staff toured the facility and met with Ben Franklin President and CEO Angelo J. Valletta and BRTC staff to learn more Continue Reading…