Dear Bucknellians,
Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of the Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. This update is among many firsts since the PGCEI opened in August. From the launch of the Campus Shop in downtown Lewisburg to the celebration of the Centers Summit in New York City, this year has been about building connections between students, alumni, faculty and staff, and hosting workshops and events that elevate Bucknell’s entrepreneurship & innovation ecosystem. The PGCEI supports all Bucknellians, wherever they are in their education, career, venture stage, or geographically.
I look forward to sharing more good news, including our first Annual Report, at the start of the fall semester.
Warmest regards,
Erin Jablonski
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PGCEI Student Ambassadors
Student Ambassadors create programs that foster exploration of creative, innovative and entrepreneurial interests. This year twenty students worked on a variety of projects including organizing events, building alumni connections, liaising with student organizations, marketing and social media, and managing the Campus Shop.
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Spring Sprints
Spring Sprints is a speaker series that welcomes students and founders for themed discussions. In March Brielle Cenci '19 shared the story of creating Brielle's Shells. Todd Wildman '96, co-founder and CTO of Preloved Guru and founder of Open Venture Nexus, visited in April to share advice from his many experiences in the startup world.
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Entrepreneurship & Innovation Society
The E&I Society is a student-lead organization that inspires innovators and founders to network and collaborate through events, workshops, and guest speakers. The club aims to spark bold ideas and empower the next generation of change-makers on campus. Hear more from PGCEI Student Ambassadors Katie Raso and Parker Levin.
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Colleen Kazanjian ‘25 was the very first PGCEI Student Ambassador hire and immediately began reaching out to alumni to populate the Bucknell Entrepreneurship Network LinkedIn group. In the midst of network building for herself and the Center, Colleen launched OttoPilot, an AI-enabled networking tool. Colleen is the recipient of the Ellen D. Decker Prize for Women, the John R. Crossgrove Prize, the Bison Award for Excellence in Co-curricular Activities, the Women's Lacrosse Coach's Award, BizPitch 2024 First Place Award, and numerous other accolades related to her academic and athletic achievements. After graduation, Colleen will be starting a full time position with Pika in NYC as a founding member of their go-to-market team, while continuing to serve on the PGCEI Advisory Board as an alumna. Congratulations Colleen!
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The Campus Shop at 417 Market Street is a vibrant retail space where Bucknell's student makers and artists can sell their unique merchandise. "The Shop" is managed by our Student Ambassadors, led by Waina Ali '26 (pictured below). See the Campus Shop in the news!
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Bucknell University Centers Summit, April 25, 2025 in NYC |
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The Centers Summit, spotlighting the Dominguez Center for Data Science and the Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, featured insightful discussions with thought leaders and industry experts in data and AI, software and app development, innovations in medical technology and much more. Student founders had the opportunity to present what they are working on and make meaningful connections with alumni.
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Charles Kim, Emily Martin, Susan Gegnas Perricelli '94, P'25, Scott Perricelli '94, P'25, Erin Jablonski, and Bill Meek. Bill, Charles and Emily serve as PGCEI Faculty Fellows. |
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Judge Yoshi Maisami ‘01 and First Place winner Elizabeth Malley ‘26 with ThermaIV, Judge Meghan Beck ‘98 and Second Place winner Lyric Abdul-Rasheed ‘26 with Lyric’s Lip Company, and Judge Todd Walrath ‘88 and Third Place winners Zack Yardley ‘25 and Ben Suit ‘27 with Forevergreen.
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Bucknell's annual BizPitch Competition provides an opportunity for students to present early stage concepts for new products or services, or their own startup companies, to a panel of judges. Throughout the competition, students connect with advisers and alumni mentors, and access resources from across Bucknell's entrepreneurship ecosystem. For more information about BizPitch contact Steve Stumbris, SBDC Director and PGCEI Staff Fellow.
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Your support makes this work possible. Please consider making a gift that will enhance opportunities for students to pursue their passions.
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Bucknell University
One Dent Drive | Lewisburg, PA 17837 US
You've received this as a result of your affiliation with Bucknell University.
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