WYOMISSING, Pa. — Entrepreneurs will share their challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic in a webinar titled “Customer discovery-challenges during the pandemic” from 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public. All participants must pre-register and meeting information will be sent to them via email.
The panel discussion is hosted by the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (CEED) Center, located within the Penn State Berks Gaige Technology and Business Innovation Building, and it is part of the 2020 Fall Entrepreneurship Speaker Series
Panelists include Ryan Morris, founder of Traduki Technologies; Caitlin Morris, marketing and financial manager of Traduki Technologies; Danielle Pritz, founder and owner of Sprockety; Joseph Sinclair, founder of Verde Mantis; and Mandy Heard, general manager of Verde Mantis.
Ryan Morris, class of 2019, earned a bachelor of science in business with a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation from Penn State Berks. During his time at the college, he co-founded Traduki Technologies LLC, a tech startup that provides real-time language interpretation services through certified interpreters via over-the-phone interpreting (OPI), video remote interpreting (VRI) and face-to-face scheduling service. Their focus is providing a platform for service industries, such as health care networks. In his senior year, Morris was awarded a prestigious Schwarzman Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in global affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing, which he completed in 2020.
Caitlin Morris, class of 2020, is a student at Penn State Berks studying business, accounting, and entrepreneurship and innovation. She is extremely active in entrepreneurship initiatives on campus, serving as president of the Entrepreneurship Club and previously working as an intern in the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development (CEED) Center. She is also the marketing and financial manager of Traduki Technologies LLC. After graduation, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in economics and business administration with a focus in strategic finance and business analytics.
Pritz received her degrees in biological engineering with a minor in French and Francophone studies from Penn State in 2011. She has designed, built and automated test labs for consumer products ranging from heavy equipment to fabric swatches. She has also served on national testing standards committees, where she helped define the way products are tested in regard to consumer safety and reliability. Currently, Pritz is focusing her efforts on educating the next generation of engineers through Sprockety, a safe and effective testing machine that will provide students with the ability to put their prototypes through their paces.
Sinclair graduated from Penn State with bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering in 2015. He is the first graduate of the master of engineering in additive manufacturing and design program offered through the Penn State World Campus. In 2019, he founded Verde Mantis with one single goal in mind: to build the world’s easiest-to-use 3D printer. The Mantis eliminates the 3D-printing learning curve and allows anyone to 3D print in minutes. Sinclair has nearly a decade of experience in the 3D printing and additive manufacturing spaces. He is the awardee of multiple 3D-printing related patents.
Heard’s expertise originates from two decades of experience as an educator. She uses her professional and personal experiences and knowledge to help to develop, promote, and bring to life the Mantis 3D printer. A native of Berks County, she attended and graduated from East Stroudsburg University with a degree in early childhood and elementary education.
For more information, contact Sadan Kulturel-Konak, professor of management information systems and the director of the Flemming CEED Center, at [email protected].
About the Flemming Creativity, Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Center
The mission of the Flemming CEED Center is to inspire an entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking in the Penn State Berks community. The Flemming CEED Center seeks to foster economic growth and development in the Greater Reading area through technology-based solutions, human capital development, and enterprise creation.
