Wilkes-Barre Connect

06/12/2026

Join us for our next Connect Spotlight Event, in conjunction with the 2026 NEPA Change Maker Conference! This session will delve into the topic of Personal Branding and Entrepreneurship.

Our speakers for this event are Dave Tamkus, Owner and Creative Director of Tamkus Art & Design and Norm Jones, Co-Owner & Director of Business Development for Cup O Code, with session moderator Kristen McCollum, Entrepreneurial Programs Strategist for the Hazleton & Wilkes-Barre Launchbox!

A free livestream of the Spotlight event will be available on our page at 12:30 on June 24th. For those who would like to join the in-person NEPA Change Maker Conference and see this in-person, you can purchase tickets at https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/chambercalendar/Details/2026-change-maker-conference-1620176?sourceTypeId=Website.

06/04/2026

05/19/2026

05/14/2026

Announcing our final Veteran Entrepreneur Award recipient for our Honor Recognition Luncheon: Irenee Ibemsi, and his business, Ibemsi Group LLC!

Father, husband, brother, best friend, Boss, Mr. Smiley. These are a few titles Irenee has acquired over the years. He was born and raised in Cameroon, West Africa, came to the US with a green card in 2011, and later joined the PA Army National Guard on January 9th 2014. His job title was 13 Bravo Field Artillery, Canon Crew member. During the last six years of his 12 year career, he became an Ammunition Specialist, and the highest rank he attained during his career was Sergeant. He was never deployed but participated in a few state active duty services during state emergencies, with an overseas overseas travel mission to Lithuania for three weeks as a joint force exercise. His last day of military services was January 9th, 2026. In 2021, he began a business and currently serves as the owner, starting within the transportation industry and transitioning to commercial cleaning. He currently has two businesses, both of which have a contract with the state through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Luzerne County Department of Human Services. Additionally, his current full time job is as a police officer in the City of Allentown.

Join us this Monday, May 18th to honor and celebrate our local veteran and veteran entrepreneurs, to learn more about what this community offers for veterans, and to connect with community leaders.

To register for this event, visit our website at: https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/events/Details/honor-recognition-luncheon-1620202?sourceTypeId=Hub

05/12/2026

We would love to have you join us this coming Monday! Registration is available at https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/events/Details/honor-recognition-luncheon-1620202?sourceTypeId=Hub

Announcing this year's keynote for the Honor Recognition Luncheon: Jeff Swire, Co-Founder & President of Patriots Cove!

Join us on Monday, May 18th to honor and celebrate our local veteran and veteran entrepreneurs, to learn more about what this community offers for veterans, and to connect with community leaders. During this event, we will also be awarding veteran entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Valley region with grants to advance their business ventures.

To read more about Jeff and to register for this event, visit our website at: https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/chambercalendar/Details/honor-recognition-luncheon-1620202?sourceTypeId=Website

05/11/2026

Announcing the next Veteran Entrepreneur Award recipient for our Honor Recognition Luncheon: Jeffrey Bartlo, and his business, Guardian Traffic Safety LLC!

Jeffrey Bartlo served in the US Navy from 1986-1990, as an Operations Specialist, Petty Officer 3rd class (E-4). From 2006-2019, he ran his own online e-commerce marketplace. Within the last year, he has been utilizing the SBDC and Penn State's legal services to guide him in starting his own Traffic Control business, using webinars, organizing his LLC, editing and finishing his business plan, and guiding him to attain capital investment funding. In the community, he volunteers in the TNR (trap, neuter and return) of cats, belongs to The Knights of Columbus and volunteers for VFW Post 396.

Join us on Monday, May 18th to honor and celebrate our local veteran and veteran entrepreneurs, to learn more about what this community offers for veterans, and to connect with community leaders.

To register for this event, visit our website at: https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/chambercalendar/Details/honor-recognition-luncheon-1620202?sourceTypeId=Website

05/06/2026

Announcing the first of our three Veteran Entrepreneur Award recipients for our Honor Recognition Luncheon: Captain Chuck Stoffa, and his business, Trail Town Bikes!

Captain Chuck Stoffa is a retired Naval Aviator and entrepreneur from White Haven, Pennsylvania, with over 30 years of combined active and reserve military service. Commissioned through NROTC at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1992 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he flew the SH-60B Seahawk helicopters and C-9B transport jets across multiple deployments, including a mobilization in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He retired as the Navy Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he was mobilized in support of the COVID-19 pandemic response. Over his career he logged over 3,000 rotary and fixed-wing flight hours and earned the Legion of Merit among other personal awards.

Chuck is the founder of two small businesses: Trail Town Bikes, a self-service bicycle rental operation at the Lehigh Gorge trailhead supporting outdoor recreation along the Delaware & Lehigh Trail, and Bella Gallery, an online art gallery that donates a portion of all sales to Homes For Our Troops, which supports injured veterans.

Join us on Monday, May 18th to honor and celebrate our local veteran and veteran entrepreneurs, to learn more about what this community offers for veterans, and to connect with community leaders.

To register for this event, visit our website at: https://business.wyomingvalleychamber.org/chambercalendar/Details/honor-recognition-luncheon-1620202?sourceTypeId=Website&fbclid=IwY2xjawRoaZxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETEwM0lpU1NDVGpYVEVobFh4c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHvZNryIt-fRJbTBRQXhIIwAsRE3FiSUCpT1XPK05DKeO2naanOF5tj3sHQqJ_aem_QrPD4WT2gFbxPxrn7cLA5Q

05/06/2026

This Spotlight event is being held in collaboration with the Wilkes SBDC in celebration of National Small Business Week! For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated National Small Business Week (NSBW), which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. National Small Business Week 2026 will take place May 3-9, and SBA will officially recognize their hard work, ingenuity, dedication, and their contributions to the economy.
Join us to hear from inspiring leaders during a special lunch session of our Spotlight series on May 6th at Wilkes-Barre's THINK Center. This event is free to attend and includes lunch and time for networking.

05/06/2026

This Spotlight event is being held in collaboration with the Wilkes SBDC in celebration of National Small Business Week! For more than 60 years, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has celebrated National Small Business Week (NSBW), which acknowledges the critical contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. National Small Business Week 2026 will take place May 3-9, and SBA will officially recognize their hard work, ingenuity, dedication, and their contributions to the economy.
Join us to hear from inspiring leaders during a special lunch session of our Spotlight series on May 6th at Wilkes-Barre's THINK Center. This event is free to attend and includes lunch and time for networking.