Finalists from three Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities will pitch their original business plans in the annual State System Startup Challenge. 

Lancaster-based Dr. Jordan Balencic and his wife Tessa have developed a ready-to-drink, dairy-alternative beverage that contains walnut milk and other clinically studied superfoods proven to have beneficial properties for brain health called BrainMilk. To further their efforts, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, a State College-based seed and economic development nonprofit organization, has invested $51,025.

A startup called Thought, founded and led by Andrew Hacker, a faculty member at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, is in the midst of creating a platform that can take bits of computer data, like numbers, and provide them with the context, or set of rules and logic.

Entrepreneurs who want to launch small businesses can have trouble getting started. And even when they succeed, they may still face issues with planning for growth and job creation.

Harrisburg University has hired an executive director for its new Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

A subscription-based startup offering check-in services aims to help keep seniors independent and their families informed.