Linda Feltman has worked with the Penn State SBDC as the senior business consultant since April 1999. In 2014 she was named the Coordinator for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) on behalf of Penn State. GEW is an international entrepreneurship event that takes place every year during the third week of November. Linda’s business consulting efforts are now primarily focused on student entrepreneurship.

Prior to joining the SBDC staff, over the course of twenty years, she was involved in several small business start-ups as a principal or owner. She has written a column for Pennsylvania Magazine since 1992, specializing in bed and breakfasts and profiles of interesting people and places, and is the author of several books related to same. She has been an associate faculty member in Penn State’s College of Communications since 2005 and teaches COMM 493 Entrepreneurship in the Information Age. Since 2009 she has been the faculty adviser for the Penn State student organization Happy Valley Communications, a student-run public relations firm that works with other student-run organizations as well as local small businesses with their publicity initiatives.

Linda was the recipient of the 2008–09 College of Communications Deans’ Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Associate, the 2011 Outreach Vice President’s Award for Engagement and was selected by Pennsylvania Business Central as one of the top 100 Business People in 2014 as well as a Woman Making a Difference in 2015. She and her colleague, Michael Ryan with whom she co-teaches, also received the College of Communications Deans Excellence Award for Outstanding Faculty Affiliate in April 2016. Also in 2016, Linda was honored to be named as one of nine members of the Class of 2016 Distinguished Alumni of College of DuPage.

Linda is a 1976 graduate of Penn State, earning a bachelor’s degree with a major in advertising. Prior to that, she attended the University of Montreal (Canada) in 1973 and earned an Associate’s degree in business from the College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois in 1972. She studied abroad in 1976 attending the University of Manchester (England) through a Penn State program. Although she enjoys living in her adopted state of Pennsylvania, she occasionally visits the Chicago suburb where she grew up, to reconnect with family and friends. She is an avid reader and when time permits attends Scottish Highland games and Celtic Festivals.