News

Brian Simon receives Chamber’s Young Innovator of the Year award sponsored by CAN BE

Brian Simon was recently recognized as the recipient of the 2023 Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s Young Innovator of the Year award. This honor, which is sponsored by CAN DO’s entrepreneurial arm, the CAN BE Innovation Center, has been presented annually by the Hazleton Chamber since 2018.

The award was presented to Simon on May 31st at the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce’s 47th Annual Academic Banquet, where Ashley Evert, owner of Halogen Hair Company, was the keynote speaker. Mary Malone, President of the Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce, is proud to highlight Brian Simon and the outstanding achievements of all area high school students.

“We are happy to include the Young Innovator of the Year recognition in our program to salute the academic achievements of the Class of 2023,” she said. “The energy, ideas, and future economic impact to the Greater Hazleton Area starts right here”.

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Small business start-ups choose CAN BE to help launch apparel businesses

On Thursday, March 9th, 2023, CAN BE welcomed two of its newest tenants to the Innovation Center in West Hazleton: Pure Beaver Hat Supply, a local felt and hatter supply house, and Stray Threads, a woman owned screen-printing shop.

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Charlee Murdock of Project Headway launches a new hair salon with help from The Hazleton Innovation Collaborative partners

Local entrepreneuer Charlee Murdock recently opened Project Headway Co., a full-service salon in Weatherly, with the help of CAN BE and the Hazleton LaunchBox.While the global pandemic created many challenges and economic uncertainties for businesses, for some, it created an opportunity. Charlee Murdock, a local entrepreneur and self-described struggling single mom of three, is the founder of Project Headway, a start-up company she launched in 2021 with the help of CAN BE and the Hazleton Launchbox. Within one year of making her dream a reality, Charlee is already making progress with the grand opening of her full-service salon in Weatherly, Project Headway Co.

Project Headway aims to help people make progress in their lives through the beauty industry. For Murdock, the ultimate goal is to build a product development company focusing on philanthropy and helping those in need. Not only will the salon provide valuable services to the community, but it will also help fund the production of her product company, Salon Innovations by Project Headway. With the help of Bill Andahazy, Penn State Entrepreneurship Education Coordinator of the Hazleton LaunchBox Supported by Pasco Schaivo and funds received from PennTAP, she is already working on her first prototype through a partnership with Bucknell University’s Engineering Department.

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CAN BE kicks off the Entrepreneurial Power Hour Series with intro to business plans

CAN BE will present the first part of their Entrepreneurial Power Hour series on Thursday, February 2 at the CAN BE Innovation Center from 12 – 1 PM.

This six-part series is designed to teach current and aspiring entrepreneurs vital information to grow and maintain their small business.

In this session, Lucy Singer, Business Consultant from the Wilkes University Small Business Development Center (Wilkes SBDC), teaches us why a business plan is so important and how to write your own!

To RSVP, please contact Nico Makuta at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call (570) 579-8511.