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This summer, Lauer participated in the Invent Penn State Summer Founders program, which gives students $15,000 to work full-time at PNC Bank’s Happy Valley LaunchBox on a startup, social good or nonprofit idea over the summer. She said she enjoys being with like-minded individuals and being a part of the entrepreneurial community during the program.
“One of the biggest things I learned at Summer Founders was how to really listen to my customers and not underestimate myself and my products,” Lauer said. “I thought no one would pay $25 for a candle, but there was a woman from California who paid $35 for a candle because of shipping, and then it happened again. You have to make sure you do your own thing.”
Lauer said she experienced unexpected growth of cloves and sprigs this summer, when candles aren’t usually in season, so she wants to prepare and accommodate more of that growth this fall and winter.
“What I love about working with Kelsey is that wherever she works, she is always committed to quality,” says Ben Nason, Idea Catalyst at Happy Valley LaunchBox. Between trying to maintain the temperature, normalizing the fragrances and managing the volatile ingredients, it takes a special amount of time and energy to keep the quality high.
Lauer’s most recent venture was getting her candles into Belle Mercantile Bellefonte, a collective marketplace where many local businesses sell their products.
Clove and Sprig Candles are available at My Cafe Booth in Bellefonte, Gossip Salon in York, The Garden Inn Center Hall, Wisco Inn State College and through her website.
“If you’re a student working to build a startup, don’t let other people’s success trump your own,” Lauer says. “Especially this summer, it was hard for me to take that chance and try something new on my own, when my friends and roommates were getting internships and steady paychecks. Appreciating your own accomplishments can be hard, and I think if it’s something you want to do, getting out there and doing it is an accomplishment that shouldn’t be discounted.
If you’re a Penn State student looking to spend the summer working on your own, applications for the next Summer Founders Program cohort will open in spring 2023 through the program’s website.
About summer founders
Summer Founders is a signature program of the Invent Penn State initiative and is presented in partnership with Happy Valley LaunchBox, powered by PNC Bank. Startup funding is made possible by donations from successful alumni entrepreneurs who want to support new student ventures. To learn more about supporting student startups at Penn State with a philanthropic gift, contact Heather Winfield, director of strategic initiatives in university development, at hbw11@psu.edu.
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