Entrepreneurs And Small Business Flourish In Happy Valley

State College, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding areas have been called Happy Valley since the 1930s when it escaped relatively unscathed from the Great Depression—largely thanks to Pennsylvania State University. Today, Happy Valley is still synonymous with all things Penn State—a community of over 100,000 students, faculty and non-faculty that brought in roughly $417 million of economic impact last year from Penn State sporting events alone.

The region attracts more than sports fans. Entrepreneurs and small business owners have long called the area home, including Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2023 alumni Hunter Swisher–they’ve built unique networks here while serving the community.

Established Networks

Lee Anne Jeffries, executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District (DSCID), has seen a lot of change in the downtown area since the pandemic. While Covid-19 shuttered some businesses, some 350 remain in the downtown State College area, with an average of eight to 11 newcomers annually.

The region is constantly transforming itself, with a new class of businesses and updated events—from annual holiday tree lightings to Sips and Sounds Downtown—coming in with the regularity of undergrads. “There are a lot of initiatives where business owners can get involved,” says Jeffries.

This year, the DSCID expanded the tree lighting event, which already features Santa and free trolley rides, to include an artisan market for the first time. “We build upon our core events, and they evolve into different things as we see what people are enjoying,” Jeffries says. “We don’t want to ever get stagnant.”

The Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County (CBICC), a membership organization serving nearly 700 businesses within Centre County, provides services to help businesses be successful and grow in the area, driving economic growth in the county. “We’re in touch with our elected officials on a local, state and federal level,” says Gregg Scott, president and CEO of CBICC. “We’re advocating for our local businesses and for policies that are pro-business.”

Services provided by the CBICC range from networking events to meet elected officials and fellow business owners to educational opportunities where business owners can learn about things like strategic marketing, hiring and social media directly from experts. The CBICC also puts potential business owners in touch with resources to help them get off the ground including advice, grant and funding opportunities available in Pennsylvania.

For those just starting or businesses that need extra assistance, Invent Penn State is a $30 million Commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success. “The more visible parts of what we do are the programs that we offer through the launch box network across the state,” says Dr. James L. Delattre, associate vice president for research and director of the Office for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization. “Because Penn State is Pennsylvania’s sole land-grant institution, we have a unique responsibility to be in service to society and Pennsylvanians that no other university in Pennsylvania has.”

For the last 130 years, this mission supported agriculture, where anyone could go to any of the 67 agriculture offices across the state to get expert help with the full research power of the university behind them. The launch boxes have been designed to address what could be done for people in other sectors and industries outside of agriculture. “If we don’t have the right expertise, the launch box becomes a referral source,” explains Delattre. “Each launch box is different based on its community. It’s definitely not one size fits all.”

So far this year, Invent Penn State has assisted 1,142 businesses across 21 campus locations. They’ve helped 226 new companies form and created 132 jobs. “It’s not uncommon to see more companies formed than jobs created because we’re helping people get started on a side hustle that isn’t a full-time job yet,” says Delattre.

More than 1,440 companies received no-cost legal services through the launch boxes. “We have an awesome partnership with Penn State Law,” explains Delattre. Running, in essence, a mini law firm out of the launch box, law students work with lawyers on faculty to assist new business owners with questions and legal processes they might not be familiar with–all at no cost. Nearly 550 clients were assisted with intellectual property advice ranging from trademarks to patents and company names.

Antifragile Brewing Company

No strangers to business, Lisa Harpster, 46, and John Schaffer, 39, started their first business together, Moody Culture Kombucha, in 2017. Schaffer has been passionate about craft beer since college, so moving into the space felt like a natural next step for the pair. But it hinged on finding the right brewer—which they found in Paulo Nami, 29, in the summer of 2019. The pandemic put a wrench in their plans to open, but last year, the Antifragile Brewing Company opened its doors as the first brewery in downtown State College. Antifragile expanded their offerings in 2023 to include hard kombucha and Uncle John’s Jawns, authentic Philly-style cheesesteaks.

Brewing beer and living in State College weren’t new for Nami; he’d studied there as an exchange student from Brazil in high school and began brewing nearly a decade ago, winning multiple awards. “I’m fortunate that I get to explore and experiment with a bunch of beer styles because we’re brewing in small batches,” says Nami. Though the batches may be smaller, the varieties range from lagers to stouts to IPAs and more, with a sprinkling of the occasional historical and regional styles. “Every single beer brewed has its own nuances and difficulties when you’re brewing it true to style,” Nami explains. “We’re not only selling beer. We’re providing education on different approaches to what good beer can be.”

Collaboration is a large part of building the community that Harpster, Schaffer and Nami had hoped to create when they first opened. To date, they’ve created two beers with other Pennsylvania breweries like Ten7, and Warwick Farm Brewing, and source some ingredients locally, including juices and honey for their kombuchas, roasted coffee for their cold brew and some stouts, and beef and rolls for their cheesesteaks.

“Talking with other business owners about opportunities to work together and what trends we’ve both seen in the area has been beneficial,” says Schaffer, noting that some of the best small business networks he’s a part of are the informal ones he’s created simply by stopping into other local businesses and chatting with the owners. “To the extent that we can, we’ll always choose local.”

In addition, they’ve opened their doors to other local interests; live music, Penn State football game viewings, open mic nights, and Artist Salons showcasing paintings by Lisa Harpster, handcrafted mid-century modern furniture by Adam Laird of The Woodshop Labs and ceramics by Kara Kyle of Kara Kyle Ceramics. “Each type of event has brought in a different crowd and has been a really interesting avenue to explore,” says Harpster.

Kara Kyle Ceramics

Kara Kyle, 43, came by her business accidentally two years ago after being laid off during the pandemic. But she has had her hands in clay for 21 years. “I decided to buy a kiln, and I was just going to make things as I wanted to,” explains Kyle. “Then people started buying things, and then people started ordering. Before I knew it, I was running a business.”

Her reasons for returning to the familiar medium of clay were simple. “It’s 100% mental health,” explains Kyle, “Getting out of my head and into my hands is so therapeutic. The fact that you have a tangible result is just a bonus.” The creation process varies for each piece, ranging from 30 minutes for a simple mug to seven to nine hours for a floor vase. The whole process, including drying times and firing in the kiln, can take roughly two weeks.

Kyle attributes her success to the community. “The response from the community has been pleasantly unexpected,” says Kyle. “Their reception of my work is why I have a business.”

Collaboration is where Kyle’s work is truly able to shine since she has no brick-and-mortar location. “Staci Egan from Smith and Front really gave me a leg up,” Kyle says, after being commissioned for a project at the local gift shop shortly after purchasing her kiln. “She also invited me to my first pop-up, which I hadn’t even planned on doing.” It was the first of many local collaborations, allowing her to tailor the pieces she brings to each event. “I’m always keeping target audiences in mind,” she says, describing items she might bring to a local boutique, By A Thread, that are more neutral in color with gold accents to align with the look and feel of other items sold in the store.

“Collaborating gets me out of my comfort zone,” says Kyle, “Figuring out how to make someone else’s idea in my own style has really exercised that creativity muscle and led to processes that I use for myself now that I perhaps wouldn’t otherwise have stumbled upon.”

While pop-ups may be the route Kyle most frequently displays her wares, she does have items in several brick-and-mortar stores, including Smith and Front and Belle Mercantile in Bellefonte and Bass and Bennett Trading Co in Pittsburgh.

All Things Kind Market

For Jaimie Cleary, 28, entrepreneurship runs in the family. She’s been taking photos professionally for over 15 years and opened All Things Kind Market in March 2023 as her first brick-and-mortar store for sustainable goods, located just around the corner from where her great-grandfather opened the first shoe repair store in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania in the early 1900s. It’s a one-stop shop to purchase refills on soaps and detergents sustainably, as well as other ethically made goods. “Over the past few years, making this sustainable transition myself, it really laid heavy on my heart to provide the same opportunity to the community,” she says.

Cleary didn’t have any retail experience when she started but has quickly learned the best way to assist her customers, who have a lot of questions ranging from what the business does to whether she uses the products on the shelves herself (spoiler alert: she’s used and tested them all). The most popular question: Where do I start? Cleary’s advice is simple. “Start small,” she says, “Making a small swap in your everyday life is the easiest transition. When you run out of something, then replace it with something sustainable. It can be as easy as replacing your kitchen sponge.”

The community embraced Cleary and All Things Kind Market before her opening. “Downtown Bellefonte was a huge support in finding a space for the market,” Cleary says, “Participating in events and hosting pop-ups to drive foot traffic has also been really helpful.” Similarly, Cleary found assistance at the Penn State Small Business Development Center, where she got help establishing her LLC, and learning about building codes and marketing.

“I like to really hone in on women-owned and local businesses when finding new products to introduce to the store,” she says, “You can’t find these products on Amazon.” She also recognizes that visiting the market is an experience in itself. “You can’t go to a big box store and pump your own soap.”

Clearly hosts workshops for those curious about the store who prefer a more educational, hands-on approach, such as her First Time Fillers workshop for those inexperienced with using a refill bar and several pop-ups where other business owners have brought in their own products. “I do try to make sure it’s in line with what I do, so that way there isn’t waste,” she explains. “If I can support another business, they’re welcome anytime.” So far, she’s had a local musician, a plant swap, vintage clothing and a dried floral bar in the space.

“It really helps to have that community and local support,” Clearly says. “It helps to draw in people who might not have heard of you yet and exposes your customers to other businesses they might not be familiar with.”

Collaborative Takeaways

When asked about any potential downsides of collaboration or competition, the primary issues focused on the unknowns they had when they first started in business. “I don’t know if there’s really a downside to collaborating,” Clearly says. “If someone else has an idea that I didn’t think of, why not go for it, support it and see if it works?”

Kyle described that the small business owners in the community, specifically the female small business owners, have been tremendously supportive of each other, giving opportunities, reposting and sharing each other’s social posts, events and products. “It’s been pretty wonderful to be a part of.”

“I think that was a goal from the beginning,” says Harpster, speaking to her own experience with the beginnings of Antifragile. “To be a part of the community and collaborate as much as possible.”