Programs

Propel Business

The Propel Business New Venture & Innovation Program is an initiative offered by the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship, the Management and Organization Department, and Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, to provide a virtual assistance hub for Smeal graduate students and alumni interested in new venture creation.

The Propel Business program is a curated and moderated portfolio of services and resources offered through the Smeal College of Business that includes a finance clinic (including financial modeling and venture funding), digital library, faculty assistance, consulting services, and legal assistance support.

Experienceship Program

The Experienceship Program is an internship program for second and third year students currently enrolled in the Smeal College of Business Corporate Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIENT) major offered by the Management and Organization Department.

The program aligns with the Invent Penn State Initiative to support economic development in Pennsylvania, further instilling a culture of entrepreneurship and corporate innovation, as well as building a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem across the University and Commonwealth. 

Pennsylvania small businesses and startups, including Ben Franklin and Happy Valley LaunchBox companies, will benefit from this subsidized program. Harnessing the entrepreneurial skills and capabilities of CIENT students will increase the likelihood of commercial success of new ventures. 

Students will benefit by obtaining real-world experience in small, growing businesses, finding new networking opportunities, developing professionally, and leveraging opportunities to apply what they know.

Farrell Center Consulting

Farrell Center consulting projects are rigorous, semester-long, company-sponsored projects involving intellectual property protection, generally proposed by a prospective client organization, based on real client need, and targeted at graduate and upper-division undergraduate students. Through this program, faculty-led student consulting teams, embedded in business courses taught at Penn State University, aid small, medium, and large companies, help them identify and assess business problems, and provide viable solutions. These projects strategically leverage the knowledge, skills, and real-world experience of students in the Smeal College of Business.

Project deliverables are based on students’ best efforts during the semester. These uniquely designed projects are intended to provide students with real-world consulting experience while providing value to the client at no charge. Clients are required to provide a simple project charter document at the beginning of the semester outlining business challenges, project goals, and expected deliverables. Clients are also expected to offer at least one hour per week of time to the student team to provide guidance, receive weekly status reports, and answer questions.

This program provides an excellent opportunity for small, medium, and large companies to obtain valuable, free services, and students to gain real-world, client-focused work experience and team-building skills. Multi-semester project opportunities are available upon request. Participating organizations will see the best Smeal College of Business students have to offer, receive help with their business challenges, and gain insight into possible recruiting prospects.