Student entrepreneurs Q&A: Sydney Gibbard and Leo Girlando

Two Penn State student entrepreneurs discuss their Invent Penn State experience and offer advice to students interested in entrepreneurship

11/16/2021

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As Penn State has grown entrepreneurship education across the University, more than 19,000 students from have enrolled in at least one course offered in the Intercollege Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Penn State President Eric Barron told the Board of Trustees during a report today (Nov. 12).

Barron highlighted two entrepreneurship students — Sydney Gibbard, a third-year student in biomedical engineering and pre-medicine, and founder of Girls Code the World, a nonprofit that provides resources, role models and opportunities for girls ages 8 to 12 by offering STEM educational programming sessions and mentorship; and Leo Girlando, an international student and senior majoring in finance and Chinese who is president of Happy Valley VC and the Global China Connection Penn State chapter and a founding member of the inaugural blueStart Festival.

Gibbard and Girlando, who are both Schreyer Scholars, discussed their entrepreneurship experience in a Q&A with Penn State Today:

How did you become interested in being an entrepreneur, and how did Invent Penn State help you realize your entrepreneurship goals?

Gibbard: I started running Girls Code the World in 2018, but it was more of just running summer programs with one of my peers from high school. It quickly developed into something I was passionate about, and something we were gaining momentum for in the community. Once we got to college though, it was much harder to find the time and resources to continue carrying our work as Girls Code the World.

My involvement with Invent Penn State began when I participated in the 2020 Summer Founders Program. Invent Penn State helped me reimagine what our organization could become, and they gave me the confidence and the resources to believe I could be an entrepreneur.

Girlando: I became interested in entrepreneurship shortly after joining the Fitted Laundry team — previously Chute Laundry — and meeting the leaders of Happy Valley VC (back then Smeal Venture Partners). After hearing the great initiatives student leaders had on filling a gap in our ecosystem through providing experience in startups and venture capital, as well as helping Fitted Laundry’s founders overcome the challenges that come with building a startup, I realized the immense value that these experiences offered. Through entrepreneurship, I found a passion for learning. I wore multiple hats to grow a business, learned about venture investing, explored promising technology trends shaping our world, and supported student founders.

Additionally, Invent Penn State and the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship allowed me to boost my engagement at Penn State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and keep learning from alumni investors and seasoned entrepreneurs. More specifically, I was fortunate enough to participate and support initiatives such as Startup Week and Venture & IP Conference, as well as enjoyed the vast number of resources and programs available such as the new innovation hub and Global Entrepreneurship Week! Both stakeholders even trusted student leaders from Happy Valley VC and Innoblue with funding to make blueStart, a week-long festival that introduces Penn State’s entrepreneurship pipeline and facilitates students’ access to resources on campus, a reality. 

As a student, how do you balance the workload of classes with the demands of running a startup?

Gibbard: As a student, it can sometimes be very difficult to run a startup, especially because it requires a high level of self-discipline, prioritizing the business some weeks, and planning out your goals ahead of time. However, I also feel like it has enhanced my ability to juggle multiple responsibilities and tasks at once, which has been a great professional development experience. I even think it has helped me manage my schoolwork better too because I have become skilled at developing quantifiable metrics I want to achieve and tangible steps I can take to completing a task.

Girlando: Despite spending more than two-thirds of my time outside of classes in a startup environment, I have found ways to balance my workload and still enjoy the social aspect of college. For example, I’ve fostered a teamwork environment and collaborative culture within Happy Valley VC that allowed me to attract the best co-workers and supporters I could have ever asked for.

Having a diversity of perspectives when tackling tasks has bolstered the efficiency of my work and helped me lean on my peers for help. Ultimately, everything boils down to priorities and time management. Being able to organize your schedule on a calendar and keep to-do lists is paramount to prioritize tasks and spend your time wisely.

For students who are curious about entrepreneurship or want to get involved with Invent Penn State, what advice would you give them?

Gibbard: My advice would be is to never doubt that you have the charisma, drive and unique mission to be an entrepreneur! At the very beginning of my startup journey, I always felt like I didn’t deserve to be taken seriously because I was younger than many of the people I connected with, and I felt like I wasn’t doing “meaningful enough work” to have an impact on the world.

However, I have learned that making an impact on your local community opposed to trying to tackle global issues at first, and also developing root relationships rather than only focusing on big brand partnerships is ultimately how you can create change and grow as a business.

Invent Penn State has been so influential for me as far as developing my confidence, figuring out how to market myself and my business, and connecting us to people in the Penn State community who want to see startups succeed.

Girlando: Every student out there curious about entrepreneurship or passionate about solving problems through innovative products or businesses should strongly consider getting involved on campus.

With the plethora of resources and programs within our ecosystem, it only takes an email or a short conversation with a faculty or student to discover these opportunities. No matter if you are interested in learning about building startups, venture investing, getting in-hands experience through projects, or just connecting with other students passionate about innovation and building meaningful connections, I’m sure you’ll be able to find what you need at Penn State.

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Leo Girlando, an international student and senior majoring in finance and Chinese, is president of Happy Valley VC and the Global China Connection Penn State chapter and a founding member of the inaugural blueStart Festival. IMAGE: PROVIDED BY LEO GIRLANDO

headshot of a woman
“My involvement with Invent Penn State began when I participated in the 2020 Summer Founder Program. Invent Penn State helped me reimagine what our organization could become, and they gave me the confidence and the resources to believe I could be an entrepreneur,” says Gibbard. Credit: Sydney Gibbard. IMAGE: PROVIDED BY SYDNEY GIBBARD