Brian Simon was recently recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s Young Innovator of the Year award. This honor, which is sponsored by CAN DO’s entrepreneurial arm, the CAN BE Innovation Center, has been presented annually by the Hazleton Chamber since 2018.
The award was presented to Simon on May 31st at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s 47th Annual Academic Banquet, where Ashley Evert, owner of Halogen Hair Company, was the keynote speaker. Mary Malone, President of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, is proud to highlight Brian Simon and the outstanding achievements of all area high school students.
“We are happy to include the Young Innovator of the Year recognition in our program to salute the academic achievements of the Class of 2023,” she said. “The energy, ideas, and future economic impact to the Greater Hazleton Area starts right here”.
Simon, a graduating senior from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, was given this recognition for his involvement in tecBRIDGE and the Penn State Hazleton LaunchBox, Supported by Pasco L. Schiavo.
This year, Simon was one of six finalists at the 21st annual tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition (HSBPC) and submitted a business plan for HapTex, a wearable clothing company that uses Lidar and Haptic technology to assist visually impaired individuals. Making it to the final rounds of the HSBPC in April 2023 was not the first time Simon showed off his entrepreneurial talents in a competition. In 2019, Simon, who was a rising freshman, participated in and won the Hazleton LaunchBox’s inaugural Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge for his invention idea of a vertical cake cooler.
While you might think that a young man with such a knack for innovation would have been dreaming about being an inventor since childhood, for Simon, entrepreneurship was something he discovered he was good at unintentionally. “In the summer of 2019, I was like any other kid and just wanted to spend my summer doing nothing. But my mom, wanting me to be productive, pushed me and enrolled me in the Teen Entrepreneurship Challenge on a whim. Not to her surprise, I was accepted and went.”
For Simon, it was this fortunate stroke of serendipity that led him to his first business competition win, starting a trend that would eventually lead to more successes. As he progressed throughout his high school career, there were more reminders that he had a knack for understanding the business world: he entered more business competitions – like tecBRIDGE, joined FBLA – where he was a state finalist in computer problem solving, and has spent a significant amount of time with business representatives at Penn State Hazleton.
In addition to his regular studies, Brian Simon participated in a new dual enrollment course through Penn State Hazleton focused on entrepreneurship. The 14-week course is part of the Lion Scholars Dual Enrollment Program, a partnership between Penn State University and the Hazleton Area School District, and is offered at the Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
Simon credits Dr. Bill Andahazy, Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator at Penn State Hazleton, Jocelyn Sterenchock, Director of Economic Development at CAN DO, and Victoria Kozlek, his FBLA advisor and HASD teacher, as being his biggest mentors in helping him learn more and to find success in this space.
“My biggest takeaway from these competitions is a variety of knowledge,” he said. “They have taught me so much, not only about business, but also about myself. Now I know I can do things I did not think were possible and I no longer doubt myself in the face of competition – it motivates me to be the best.”
CAN DO Director of Economic Development Jocelyn Sterenchock said, “CAN BE is proud to sponsor this award that honors innovative young minds right here in Greater Hazleton. I have been working with Brian since his entry point into the THInC ecosystem and it has been amazing to watch him grow into such an incredibly gifted and kind member of our community.”
Whether it’s connections to an organization like tecBRIDGE, a regional organization that champions entrepreneurship and innovation in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” she continued, “or providing innovative programming locally through partners such as the Hazleton LaunchBox; it’s important to ensure students have equitable access to resources like these.”
Simon, who will be attending the University of Pittsburg in the fall for computer science, plans to take everything he has learned so far and apply it to his college studies and future business competitions. While considering a minor in Business, he also plans to continue his participation in FBLA through the collegiate division and intends to look back into tecBRIDGE’s Collegiate Business Plan Competition. Brian hopes that other students within the community take advantage of entrepreneurship opportunities throughout Greater Hazleton to grow their knowledge and skill sets as well.
“I am so grateful to everyone who has pushed me to participate in a competition or event and to everyone who has helped me through them as well. I think that whether someone intends to go into business or not, these initiatives could be really beneficial to them. There are important things to be learned from every aspect of the professional world; and the business sector is no less vast than the rest! I highly recommend anyone to participate in competitions like tecBRIDGE or any entrepreneurship challenge being offered by Penn State’s Hazleton LaunchBox.”
If you are a local entrepreneur interested in starting or expanding your business or want to learn more about the CAN BE Innovation Center, visit www.canbe.biz or contact Nico Makuta at nmakuta@hazletoncando.com.
