Doing Well by Doing Good

One Penn State family’s experience with disabilities has inspired them to support emerging entrepreneurs who may ease the path forward for others.

“One of our children was diagnosed with a rare neuroimmune disorder when they were very young,” explains Linda Malecky, a graduate of the University’s MBA program. “As we’ve connected with the community of people dealing with this disorder, we’ve seen not only our own challenges but also the struggles other families have faced. We wanted to do something to help improve the quality of life for people who are impacted by any form of disability, while at the same time giving back to Penn State, which has played an important role in both of our lives.” Linda and her husband Bob, who earned both his undergraduate and MBA degrees at the University, tapped into the Economic Development Incentive Matching Program to endow the Bob and Linda Malecky Entrepreneurship Fund in support of the Summer Founders program, a 13-week entrepreneurial bootcamp that’s a signature program of Invent Penn State. The couple’s support will fund teams of student entrepreneurs developing products or services designed to positively impact the lives of people with disabilities.