Blackstone LaunchPad

Overview

Blackstone LaunchPad is a global network of universities committed to shaping and educating students to succeed in entrepreneurship and in their careers. Open to all students and recent alumni in all majors, campus-based Blackstone LaunchPad chapters enable participants to access mentoring, grow their network, and access the resources to accelerate the success of their business.

Accessible to over 700,000 college students per year, LaunchPad is designed to complement existing entrepreneurship on-campus resources, coordinate off-campus opportunities for schools and students to expand their reach, and convene students and staff at world-class events leveraging our industry-leading mentors, networks, and brands.

ABOUT

Founded in 2007, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation is committed to inspiring entrepreneurship globally. By leveraging the resources and intellectual capital of Blackstone, the Foundation empowers entrepreneurs, generates job growth and supports the communities in which we live and work.

Programs

The Blackstone LaunchPad network has access to several signature programs exclusively available to LaunchPad campuses and their students.

Annual Conference and Pitch Competition

LaunchPad’s global network event brings together hundreds of student entrepreneurs, Campus Directors, and subject matter experts from Blackstone, Techstars, and other industry partners to help participants grow their network and get the training and advice they need to propel their companies forward. *Offered in Spring

LaunchPad Fellowship

In this 8-week virtual program, student founders receive $5,000 to support their time working on advancing their startups. The LaunchPad Fellowship is largely self-driven, but also offers relevant startup workshops, peer networking events, mentor connections, and other opportunities to build entrepreneurial skills. This program is delivered virtually, in partnership with Future Founders. *Offered in Summer

LaunchPad Ideas Competition

Designed to provide students with early-stage ideas to compete for cash prizes! This signature program supports LaunchPad’s goal of de-risking entrepreneurship, broadening accessibility, and diversifying engagement with a focus on recruiting underrepresented and under-resourced students to participate. *Offered in Fall

The Space

Blackstone LaunchPad at UT Dallas is a co-working and event space that was established with a $1M grant from the charitable foundation of the world’s largest private equity firm, Blackstone, creating a 5,000-square foot multi-purpose collaborative space to inspire, accelerate, and support student entrepreneurship.