One of the recurring themes in the start-up world is the importance of having a solid, supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. This includes not only the venture capital itself, but also mentoring, banking and legal advisors, and forums for exchanging information, contacts, and advice.
Just this week, I found that the University of Pennsylvania, my alma mater, has just launched a new service that (in my opinion) should be a very strong addition to Penn’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The service, called PennLaunch, describes itself as:
“An online platform for the Penn community to utilize its members’ vast skill sets and resources. It is a searchable database for students, staff, and faculty to join or find team members for new and ongoing projects, as well as to advertise skills they have to offer. The primary goal of this service is to enable individuals and groups to easily connect with one another.”
Essentially, PennLaunch is set up as a directory for Penn students and alumni founding a start-up to find team members, employees, or mentors, or vice versa. While there are established resources such as Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs already, not to mention the two Wharton business plan competitions (one for current students and one for alumni), I feel that PennLaunch greatly reduces the frictions that exist in both 1) finding team members with relevant skills for founders needing help, and 2) finding interesting start-ups for those looking to contribute their skills. For those searching for interesting start-ups, you can also filter by position, stage, skill needed, or industry. It’s online, easily accessible, and straightforward.
Any Penn alum or current Penn student with a PennKey can sign up in a matter of seconds. All you have to do is to fill out a profile. Then if you’re a founder, click on “Create a New Project” so you can find people you need or if you want to get involved, click “Find Projects” to find something you’re interested in.
Of course, a directory like this is only as good as the content and contacts in the database, and it will take time to build up (it only launched this week). But I believe PennLaunch has the potential to greatly strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem for the Penn community, whether you’re on campus or on the other side of the world. Hopefully this blog post will encourage those Penn students and alumni reading this to sign up and do your part in making this a great resource!
