PennWest Edinboro’s Center for Branding and Strategic Communication, a member of the NWPA Innovation Beehive Network, earned a Silver Award at the 2025 Niagara Awards, presented by the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).
The honor recognizes the Beehive’s brand creation and development work for its own NWPAMade, a regional initiative supporting maker-entrepreneurs across Northwest Pennsylvania.
“Angela Glass and her student design team put together an incredible brand for NWPAMade,” said Beehive Director Christopher Lantinen. “The imagery had to represent many different kinds of maker-entrepreneurs — everything from artists, to chefs, to manufacturers. The brand is very inclusive, while also being eye-catching and technically sound.”
The Silver Award was presented jointly to the Beehive and its partner, Bridgeway Capital, for a comprehensive branding package that included the NWPAMade logo, website, brand collateral and a full suite of supporting materials.
“The website was another unique challenge, as we based it around an interactive directory of NWPAMade participants,” he said. “The end product is very maker-centric, while also delivering information about our program efficiently.”
Lantinen and Angela Glass, the program’s creative lead, oversaw a nine-student Beehive team consisting of Ben Kalmey, Sabrina Bootz, Jacob Sukhenko, Trent Renelli, Skyler Ed, Roswell Butina, Jordan Napierkowski, Naomi Polito, and Preston Edmands.
The Niagara Awards draw entries from professional public relations and marketing teams across the region. Edinboro’s Beehive is traditionally the only student-led team recognized.
NWPAMade is a mission-driven initiative that brings together regional artists, manufacturers, food and beverage makers, craftspeople, software developers and other maker-entrepreneurs around products made in Northwest Pennsylvania. The program empowers participants through an annual business accelerator while encouraging residents to buy local.
Applications are now open for year two of the NWPAMade business accelerator. The annual program includes group lectures, one-on-one business coaching, a stipend for needed business services, and technical assistance from the PennWest Edinboro Beehive, such as website development, product photography and marketing support.
Interested makers can apply at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BT595XB.
Representing the Beehive at the Niagara Awards ceremony were Jacob Sukhenko, Graphic Design Instructor Angela Glass, Trent Renelli, and Skyler Ed. Tony Peyronel of PRSA is pictured at center. Photos from the event were taken by Maureen Rizzo.