About LionCage

LionCage Pitch Competition

Invent Penn State LaunchBoxes at Brandywine and Great Valley and the Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n) are partnering to deliver a new pitch competition to support entrepreneurs and innovators across all of southeastern Pennsylvania. The LionCage is a new annual event that features pitch presentations from entrepreneurs and startup companies who compete for cash prizes while making new connections and bolstering their recognition.

Hosted at Penn State Great Valley in Malvern, PA, and presented in partnership with the LaunchBox at Penn State Brandywine and Penn State Great Valley, and in collaboration with United Way of Chester County for the Social Impact Initiative category, this one day gathering offers new connections and access to inspiring creators and innovators who are transforming their industries and our society, as well as business owners and community leaders. It’s a tangible opportunity to showcase your organization while demonstrating a commitment to the southeastern Pennsylvania innovation ecosystem.

About Penn State

Penn State is not only a top-ranked research university and Pennsylvania's sole land-grant institution, it is a true community—more than 775,000 strong—of educators, researchers, students and alumni from all walks of life from around the Commonwealth, the country and the world, and who are driven to make a difference for themselves, their communities, businesses, and society. Founded with a mission of high-quality teaching and expert research, Penn State offers world-class education, interdisciplinary research, and global service and impact through 24 campuses located in communities across Pennsylvania, and around the world. Across southeastern Pennsylvania, Penn State serves communities through its Commonwealth Campuses, including Penn State Brandywine, which offers four-year undergraduate degree programs and more; and Penn State Great Valley, which offers master's degrees, graduate certificates, professional development programs, corporate training, and conference services. Each of these campuses is home to their regional Penn State LaunchBox, which is open to all community members (no University affiliation required) and helps startups and entrepreneurs turn their ideas into business.

About the LaunchBox

The LaunchBox & Innovation Network is comprised of 21 LaunchBoxes and innovation spaces embedded within Commonwealth campus communities across the state. Each innovation space provides a wide array of no-cost resources needed by entrepreneurs and innovators. Of those, 19 locations are LaunchBoxes™ providing specialized programs to launch startup companies. The Brandywine LaunchBox and Great Valley LaunchBox serve the Delaware and Chester counties respectively.

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Tony Mattei
Director, Brandywine LaunchBox

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Leo Daiuto
Director, Great Valley LaunchBox

About Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC)

With a focused mission to promote business and community prosperity, the 40 team members of Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) strive to position the organization as the most successful, diverse, and engaging business and community development services provider in Pennsylvania. For more than 60 years, CCEDC has served southeastern Pennsylvania as a private, non-governmental entity that supports businesses in four key areas – Financing Solutions, Location Services, Workforce Development, and Innovation & Entrepreneurship – ultimately enhancing the quality of life and economic prosperity across Chester County and our regional community.

Note: While known as the Chester County Economic Development Council, we provide economic development services across southeastern Pennsylvania.

About i2n

An initiative of CCEDC, i2n’s mission is focused: Make southeastern Pennsylvania the best possible place for early-stage and technology-driven companies to start, grow, and thrive. Driven by i2n Partners consisting of corporate, academic, angel and venture capital investors, nonprofit and civic leaders, successful serial entrepreneurs and others, i2n has cultivated and maintains a true “network” of experts, and we connect these resources with emerging innovators – i2n Entrepreneurs – who need help and guidance to advance their project, ultimately driving innovation across southeastern Pennsylvania and infusing a new economic vibrancy across our collective community by creating new jobs, and reinforcing Pennsylvania’s position as the global epicenter of invention and innovation. Our i2n Partners work with and through us to provide entrepreneurs with funding options, workspace solutions, coaching and mentoring, and key connections they need to establish and grow their business.

The Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n) is helping to transform southeastern Pennsylvania into the best possible place for early-stage technology companies to start, grow, and thrive. Through the work of i2n, entrepreneurs, innovators, and startups have access to resources, knowledge, and funding options necessary to transform their ideas from concept to commercialization, ultimately being better positioned to become successful, commercially viable enterprises and thereby having a positive impact on society and our regional economy.

Four pillars drive i2n’s work:

  1. Funding Options
  2. Workspace Solutions
  3. Advice & Mentoring
  4. Strategic Networking & Connections

Our business model is straightforward, and consists of:

  • i2n Entrepreneurs:
    • These are the early-stage, technology-driven companies and current or aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators across southeastern Pennsylvania who are focused on taking their ideas from concept to commercialization, and who want to benefit from accessing the expertise of i2n.
  • i2n Partners:
    • i2n is powered by leaders from diverse organizations who work collectively to advance innovation and entrepreneurship by contributing unique services, resources, expertise, and solutions that help entrepreneurs to reach their goals and grow their projects. There are several levels of investment available to best match the goals and needs of Partner organizations.
  • i2n Supporters:
    • These are smaller advisors, consultants and professional services firms who want to support i2n activities and entrepreneurs. Offering niche services and with teams that are generally fewer than five (5) employees, our i2n Supporters have access to our programs and events at no additional cost, just as our Entrepreneurs and Partners do.
  • Board of Directors:
    • Made up of i2n Partners, Supporters and Entrepreneurs, these individuals help lead and guide i2n operations.
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Matthew P. Cabrey
Director, i2n - The Ideas x Innovation Network