Entrepreneurship
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Support Woman-Owned Small Businesses in Chester County
March is Women’s History Month, which means its time celebrate every woman in your life. Women help keep the world going round with their leadership, love, and ability to stand on business — or start a business. There are dozens of women-owned businesses in the Philadelphia region, all ranging in different industries where they have…
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2026 VISTA NextGen Superstars: Sarah Holland
For Sarah Holland, owning a bakery isn’t just about pastries; it’s about creating something that reflects who she is and sharing it with the community she loves. As the Owner of Good Girls Bakery in Exton (565 Wellington Square), Holland manages every aspect of the business. Her day-to-day responsibilities include overseeing production, staffing, marketing, purchasing,…
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2026 VISTA NextGen Superstars: Patricia Mae Olson
For Patricia Mae Olson, entrepreneurship runs in the family and in her hometown roots. The Unionville native is the owner of Piqued PR and host of The Preppy Podcast, two ventures that allow her to combine creativity, storytelling, and a passion for supporting small businesses across the country. Through her public relations firm, Olson works…
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Local Entrepreneur is Betting Big on Pottstown’s Next Chapter
Pottstown’s revival isn’t happening by accident. It’s being fueled in part by entrepreneurs who see opportunity where others once saw decline. One of those believers is Aaron Jones, founder of Fenix Capital Group, who has spent the past few years renovating homes and investing in the Borough’s future. Jones, originally from Phoenixville, entered the real…
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How a Philadelphia Bake Sale at Broad and Arch Launched the Girl Scout Cookie Empire
The Girl Scout cookie craze, which now sells over 200 million boxes annually, began with a single experiment at Philadelphia’s Broad and Arch streets in 1932, writes Christie Ileto for 6abc. The initial Girl Scout cookies were baked in the ovens of Philadelphia Gas and Electric, today’s PECO, as part of a bake-sale fundraiser conceived…
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Two Chesco Companies Among Philadelphia Region’s Top Early-Stage Ventures
Two Chester County companies were named on the RealLIST Startups 2026 ranking of 20 early-stage Philadelphia ventures to watch this year, writes Sarah Huffman for Technical.ly. Each year, the list spotlights fast-growing early-stage companies across the region that are developing technology in major innovation sectors. The honorees include companies founded in the past three years that have not yet reached the point of having a significant exit…
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2026 VISTA NextGen Superstars: Emerson Cairns
At just 17 years old, Phoenixville resident Emerson Cairns is already making a meaningful impact in her community — blending entrepreneurship, service, and creativity in ways well beyond her years. A senior at Phoenixville Area High School and the Founder and Vice President of Kit’s Kloset, Cairns represents the next generation of mission-driven leadership in…
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Phoenixville Snack Company ‘Sprinkles’ a Fun Twist into Healthy Eating
Two Phoenixville mothers are making nutritious eating both fun and easy with their snack company SprinkleBites, writes Anne E. Hill for Main Line Today. In 2024, founders Rachel Kane and Nicole Baros needed a way to help their picky eaters meet their nutritional needs without a hassle. Inspired by a Dutch snack from Baros’ childhood,…
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CCEDC Awarded Certification by US Treasury and $2 Million Grant from State
The Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC) was awarded certification as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) from the U.S. Department of Treasury after a rigorous, multi-year application process. This distinction recognizes CCEDC’s proven track record of delivering capital support and technical assistance to underserved businesses and entrepreneurs across the region, with a particular focus…
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West Chester University Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center Seeks Big Ideas for 2026 Idea Challenge
The 14th Annual Business Idea Challenge at West Chester University is now open, and all ideas are welcome! $11,500 in prize money is being awarded at this year’s competition! Let your big idea become a reality by winning this competition and jumpstarting your business. Co-Hosted by the Cottrell Entrepreneurship Center, the Keiretsu Forum Mid-Atlantic, and…
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Chadds Ford Mother Creates ‘Third Space’ for Intergenerational Community-Building
Chadds Ford resident Allie Mazza is cultivating intergenerational community joy through her unique social space, writes Joan Holliday for The Daily Local News. Mazza is the founder of The Village by Brandywine Concierge, a club designed for both children and older adults to make connections through a rotating calendar of events. The club offers roundtables…
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Philadelphia Ranks Among Best Startup Cities in Nation as Funding Freeze Shows Signs of Thawing
Philadelphia ranks among the top ten best startup cities that have at least 1 million residents, as the funding freeze that has lasted several years starts to ease, writes Ryan Mulligan for the Philadelphia Business Journal. The Philadelphia innovation ecosystem placed eighth in a recent CommercialCafe ranking, beating out cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles,…
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Pennsylvania Listed as 6th Worst State in the Country to Start a Business
In a recent study, WalletHub created a ranking of the best and worst states to start a business, and Pennsylvania was placed at No. 45, writes Adam McCann for WalletHub. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20 percent of startups don’t survive past their first year, and almost half fail to hit their fifth anniversary, due to inflation and labor market tightness. “The best states…
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Bryn Mawr’s Michael Rubin Expands His Sports Empire
Michael Rubin is pushing his Fanatics empire into a bold new arena: entertainment, writes Alex Weprin for The Hollywood Reporter. The Bryn Mawr native’s sports powerhouse Fanatics has partnered with OBB Media to launch Fanatics Studios, a full-scale content arm that will produce everything from live events and docuseries to scripted shows and feature films.…
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Penn and BioNTech Partner on New $50M Fund for Early-Stage Life Sciences Companies
The University of Pennsylvania and global biopharmaceutical company BioNTech have launched a $50 million fund to support early-stage life science companies emerging from the university, writes Sarah Huffman for Technical.ly. The Penn-BioNTech Innovative Therapeutics Seed (PxB) Fund will be managed by local venture firm Osage University Partners. “[The fund] will allow us to move faster…
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Chester County’s i2n Network Launches New Angel Investor Group to Back Local Startups
The Ideas x Innovation Network, or i2n Network, a Chester County Economic Development Council initiative, recently launched the i2n Angels investment group, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal. Developed by Matt Cabrey, i2n director for the past two years, the i2n Angels group seeks to address a network void by providing support to…
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Downingtown Native’s Middle-School Hobby Turns Into West Chester Business with $12 Million in Annual Revenue
A Downingtown native’s middle-school hobby has turned into a West Chester-based business that aims to distribute healthy snacks across the country, writes Lisa Dukart for Philadelphia Business Journal. In 2013, Brendan Cawley, who became interested in making jerky when he was 10 years old, founded Righteous Felon, which ships beef jerky products nationwide. Among them include…
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Brandywine LaunchBox Holds Second Annual LionCage Pitch Competition
The Brandywine LaunchBox partnered with the Great Valley LaunchBox and the Chester County Economic Development Council’s Ideas x Innovation Network (i2n) to present the second annual LionCage Pitch Competition on Nov. 14. The event highlighted entrepreneurs and innovators across southeastern Pennsylvania, writes Christina Billie for Penn State Brandywine. Hosted at Penn State Great Valley and…
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