Kevin Leka, a third-year Penn State Abington student, explains his award-winning startup at the Penn State Impact Forum in Philadelphia. Credit: Penn State. Creative Commons

ABINGTON, Pa. — Penn State Abington students showcased career-ready skills and innovative projects before leaders from around the globe at the Penn State Impact Forum in Philadelphia, giving them the opportunity to share their work and expand their networks.

Key figures from business, industry, government, and higher education came together to fuel partnerships that accelerate innovation and economic development and address complex challenges facing communities in Pennsylvania and beyond. Abington students tapped into these conversations and presented their research, a prototype tech device, and an award-winning start-up.

Third-year Abington student Kevin Leka introduced The Eleventh Round, the combat sports mentorship and consulting platform he developed with support from faculty mentors and the Abington LaunchBox, which provides low- and no-cost resources to innovators and start-ups.

Leka’s portal guides athletes through the business side of the sport, including branding, contract literacy, sponsorship strategy, mental performance, and career development. The Eleventh Round placed third in the annual Penn State StartUp Week Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition in April.

Leka said the insights and connections he formed at the Impact Forum will help him advance his business while applying his underlying strategy.

“It helps to listen to advice as well as being open to receiving criticism. Criticism is never a failure, but rather a data point that tells you what needs to be fixed when you go back to the drawing board,” the cybersecurity analytics and operations major said.

At the Impact Forum, Pavlo Krykavskyi demonstrated the Cyberdeck, a portable device for IT, networking, cybersecurity and off-grid communication that he created during his internship.

“My main goal for the Impact Forum was to show what can come from combining IT with hands-on design and fabrication,” he said. “I was excited to share the Cyberdeck, get some feedback and, hopefully, give other students ideas for projects.”

Students who presented at the Impact Forum exemplify the Abington Experience, which connects students to internships, leadership development, research and academic travel.

“We believe students should graduate with a degree backed by confidence, connections, and experiences that prepare them to make an impact. Our students are solving problems and forging their own paths long before they graduate,” Abington Chancellor Gary Liguori said at the Impact Forum.

Leka and Krykavskyi benefited from the Abington Experience, and Krykavskyi specifically credited Joseph Oakes, associate teaching professor of computer science and information technology, with supporting him.

“Working with Joe Oakes and my experience at Penn State Abington gave me a chance to go beyond the classroom and work on real projects,” he said. “Joe gave me a lot of freedom to experiment and figure things out while helping when I needed guidance.”

During his internship, Krykavskyi developed the Cyberdeck while also working on servers, networking, fabrication and other IT projects.

“That hands-on experience made me much more comfortable taking an idea I had and turning it into something that actually works,” the IT major said.

Leka's work with the Abington LaunchBox and Peter Hornberger, its director and assistant teaching professor of management, have been instrumental to his business.

“Peter has always introduced me to opportunity after opportunity and made himself available whenever I've needed somebody to bounce ideas off of, a second opinion, or ideas to implement for refining my business strategy,” he said.

For Hornberger, Leka's work demonstrated how mentorship and entrepreneurial support can help students build skills employers and investors desire.

“Each week I think he reached his peak performance, and each week he provides updates proving he has more energy to commit to his business,” he said. “I’m pleased the Abington LaunchBox has been a place for Kevin to build the kind of network and mindset that will continue to drive his personal and business development.”

About Penn State Abington

Penn State Abington, home to nearly 3,000 students in greater Philadelphia, offers four-year degrees, the first two years of any Penn State degree, and NCAA Division III athletics. The Abington Experience launches students from campus to career through internships, leadership development, academic travel, and faculty-led research and creative work. Penn State Abington — where the city's energy meets the best of the suburbs.