Collaborative effort launched to support entrepreneurship in Central Pa.

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Harrisburg University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) and White Rose Ventures of York are partnering to support Athlon, a new business in the region.

CIE is an incubator for tech start-ups in Central Pennsylvania, while White Rose Ventures is an investment firm. The tech-backers have teamed up to co-support more start-ups in the area.

“We want to elevate entrepreneurs regionally and across the commonwealth,” Martin Fedorko, managing partner of White Rose Ventures, said in a statement. “Innovation doesn’t occur just in Silicon Valley. Innovation is ubiquitous. When you have a functioning ecosystem that includes capital and support for entrepreneurs, the sky is the limit for any region and any investor in the country.”

Jay Jayamohan, executive director of the CIE at Harrisburg University, said the goal is to attract, encourage, and keep talent in the area.

“Innovation and entrepreneurialism are a common thread in supporting any community, and we are motivated to bolster this for the Central Pennsylvania region,” said Jayamohan.

According to a release, Christina Milano-Damaskos, co-founder and CEO of Athlon, and her husband, co-founder and CTO of Athlon, Matt Damaskos, set out to create an experience through gamification in augmented reality. Students engage in “bite-sized” activities (5 minutes) that support them in physical activity or mental health breaks, leading to more productive classrooms and less disruption for teachers.

Rallee, an app for K-8th grades and Athlon’s flagship product, is piloting with two school districts in the Harrisburg area. After pitching to Harrisburg School District, the co-founders relocated to the area to support the schools.

“We were drawn to the kids and the mindset of this region,” Christina said. “We knew there was a huge opportunity to support the schools, the children, and the families of this area.”

The release stated that CIE seeks to foster relationships for start-up founders and help them build a network of mentors, experts, fellow entrepreneurs, and investors like White Rose Ventures. CIE supports aspects of business development from market validation and product refinement to marketing strategies and scaling tactics.

Early-stage investing is also expanding in the area. Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA (Ben Franklin CNP), a leading tech-based economic development program that serves all of Pennsylvania, announced Tuesday they are also investing in tech-startup Athlon, rounding out a trio of investors supporting new tech businesses in the region.

“Ben Franklin CNP is pleased with the region’s collaborative support of the Athlon team and believes that their research-backed platform will enable teachers to better assist students in navigating the learning day while improving the students physical and mental wellbeing, a win-win for education in Pennsylvania,” said Joseph Hackett, regional director for Ben Franklin Technology Partners CNP.