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Empowering Student Entrepreneurs: The LaunchPad Lab Fall 2023 Journey

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LaunchPad Lab: Igniting Ideas For Student Entrepreneurs

During the fall semester, eight dynamic students from varied backgrounds honed their ideas into impactful ventures, embodying the spirit of entrepreneurship while building a vibrant community of future innovators.


About LaunchPad Lab

LaunchPad Lab is an immersive 8-week program designed for students’ budding business ideas. In 8 weeks, LaunchPad Lab offers guidance, essential entrepreneurial skill development, pitching skills, and an immersive entrepreneurial experience within a community of ambitious peers and mentors. Participants are given a stipend of $1000 for completing  LaunchPad Lab, which helps them take time away from other accountabilities like part-time jobs or invest in their ideas.


The Student Cohort

LaunchPad Lab included eight passionate students from business, public relations, science, and computing degrees. Explore their stories for a glimpse into LaunchPad Lab.


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"My business, ReQuest Marketplace, addresses the limitations of existing platforms by establishing a local buy and sell marketplace focused on verified users, a credible rating system, and efficient matching capabilities… My experience in LaunchPad Lab was transformative... It taught me the practical steps necessary for achievement and the fundamental mentality required to thrive as a business founder." 

Karley Jackshaw, LaunchPad Lab Student and Founder of ReQuest  

 

 

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“AVIS utilizes drones and heat maps for farmers and oil companies, providing a 4-in-1 report on surveys, volume calculations, crop health, and livestock count, saving time, resources, and costs. LaunchPad Lab has far exceeded my expectations with experienced coaches who provided real data and insight instead of teaching out of a book. They were able to do this because they are aspiring and successful entrepreneurs themselves.”

Charter Beselt, Launchpad Lab Student, Co-Founder and CEO of AVIS Drone Solutions. 

 

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“I feel incredibly honoured to be chosen for this opportunity with Emotional Response, an interactive card deck focused on emotions. I'm thrilled to share the culmination of my work and delve into the emotions these prompts evoke…The support from Launchpad's exceptional team has been invaluable in kickstarting the sales of my product.”

 Jordan Piraux, LaunchPad Lab Student and CEO of Emotional Response

 

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“Threaded is an online marketplace platform that connects small clothing retailers in Calgary to a global audience by centralizing all local clothing retailers on one platform and providing worldwide shipping. LaunchPad Lab has been a great experience by being in a comfortable space and environment to test out my assumptions on Calgary’s local retail industry. It provided me with detailed guidance on how to transition my business idea from the ideation phase to a functional product.”

Sara Sail LaunchPad Lab participant and CEO of Threaded


We're incredibly proud of every student's remarkable growth over the past eight weeks—it's truly astounding to witness their incredible progress and achievements!


Appreciation

The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship deeply thanks the RBC Foundation and the Cathy & Bruce Williams Fund Innovation and Entrepreneurship for their continuous support. Their unwavering commitment fuels our ability to foster innovation and entrepreneurship within our student community. Thank you to the RBC Foundation and the Cathy & Bruce Williams Fund for Innovation and Entrepreneurship!

 

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Start Your Journey! 

Join the LaunchPad Lab—an exciting journey awaits as we ignite your ideas into thriving ventures.  Embrace this opportunity to transform your vision into reality, backed by a vibrant community of like-minded innovators. 


For more information on the LaunchPad Lab program, please visit our website to learn more!