Tony Palamone

Anthony Palamone

Anthony Palamone joined the staff at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania SBDC in 1997. Prior to his twenty-year term, Anthony honed his skills while working extensively in the areas of business, market, and economic development with the private sector, as well as public, non-profit, and private partnerships. Aside from consulting, he has an extensive background that ranges from teaching Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management at the university level, to developing business plans, grant writing and managing business incubators. In addition, Anthony has worked with over 1000 entrepreneurs and has had several of his clients reach INC Magazine’s list of fastest growing 500 small businesses.

Possessing a wealth of experience upon which he draws to serve clients, Anthony is currently focusing a large part of his efforts towards working with startups that are entering into their second stage of growth period.

Anthony holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s Degree in City and Regional Planning from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Over the years, he has taken advantage of many additional specialized training programs, most notably and relevant being in Technology Commercialization and in Advanced Innovation. 

Anthony serves on the Loan Committee & Board of the Regional Development Funding Corporation and the leading SBA 504 lender in the Pittsburgh Region.

Wendy Kopczyk

Wendy Kopczyk

Management Technician

Richard Hoover

Richard Hoover

Business Consultant

Richard Hoover has over eighteen years of business, legal, entrepreneurial and management experience. For nearly seven of those years, he has been advising businesses at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center. During his time at IUP, Richard developed a program that creates marketable, professional skills and mindsets in participants while providing digital marketing, media and design services to small businesses. 

Richard has a keen interest in lean startups, business development, and design, including Adobe Creative Suite and CAD/CAM. His focus is geared in marketing messaging, customer development and user experience.

Previously, Richard co-founded and managed an investment banking and capital acquisition firm in Eastern Europe that involved raising capital while managing approximately $30 million in small business deals. Prior to that, he worked at KPMG Romania on mergers and acquisitions. 

Richard Hoover has a B.S. in Marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.