Fresh out of work as a result of the pandemic, Kristen Pucci took what she had learned from her career in business development and marketing and founded her own consulting business; a risk that the 27-year-old entrepreneur says has paid off.

CPBJ recently sat down with a few young Pennsylvania business owners who haven’t let their youth stand in the way of their dreams. Ranging in age from 12 to 25, these entrepreneurs opened up about ageism, hard work and the advantages of being your own boss.

Jeremy Young spoke to the journal about Lancaster’s economic development in recent years and how as a result of the pandemic, the city saw what he refers to as “the greatest amount of privately led investment planned and announced in the community’s modern history in a short span of time.”

Two midstate entrepreneurs began their soda pop company in a small storefront in Lancaster. Today, the Lancaster-born company has relocated to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to take part in a local food movement happening there.

“We need to think about mental health now more than ever—there’s more fear, anxiety and loneliness in people’s lives as they deal with the effects of the pandemic on their daily life,

Timothy Ziegler, head of East York-based McConkey Insurance & Benefits’ construction division, started his career in insurance twelve years ago after responding to an online ad for a job with Travelers Insurance.

Two weeks into March, Kimeka Campbell, executive vice president of operations for the Young Professionals of Color of Harrisburg, sat down with another leader of the group to come up with what would be next for the four-year-old organization.

“I just know there are so many people out there who lost their jobs and are still looking,” Susan Graham said, “And I thought, ‘What can we do to help people and still be socially distant?’”

Grab your meal from your fridge, or coffee and join us on Oct. 7 for a conversation about mentorship.

When Julia Brinjac, policy director for the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, first planned for what her career would be, she thought she would need to familiarize herself with one subject matter and find her niche.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central & Northern PA is once again hosting its Techcelerator event, a 10-week long series of sessions meant to give prospective entrepreneurs the tools to start their own business.

For the past few years real estate investors have searched, largely in vain, for affordable two-to-four unit buildings to do what is called house hacking

Virginia Beach-based pest remover Mosquito Joe is growing its presence in Central Pennsylvania by launching a new franchise for the Chambersburg and Hanover communities, led by Gettysburg-based entrepreneur Phil Gomer.

With a new school year approaching and communities still reeling from the varied impacts of COVID-19, Sharice Johnson is leaning into her role as mentor and advocate for students more than ever.

Two years into his career as a private practice family law attorney, Paul Edger joined Harrisburg-based MidPenn Legal Services to use his experience in family law in the nonprofit sector.