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5 May

We escaped!

May 5, 2016     By LAUNCH     News

Being trapped together is a great team building exercise! A couple of weeks ago we (the LAUNCH staff) took our lunch break to go do a little team building at Escape Experience Chattanooga. We’d never really done anything as a team outside of LAUNCH and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. The week prior, we had to pick which scenario we wanted to experience. We decided…
26 Apr

Walking with giants

April 26, 2016     By Marco Perez     News

Walter came into our office to ask for some assistance. Having gone to a nearby business-counseling center to inquire about starting his business, he was handed a 20-page outline to develop a business plan and told to come back when he had filled it out. After seeking additional assistance who was just as overwhelmed by the thought of filling out a 20-page plan, he remembered LAUNCH. A year…
4 Apr

5 Years of LAUNCH

April 4, 2016     By anonymous     News

LET US TELL YOU ABOUT 5 YEARS OF LAUNCH... LAUNCH supports a very diverse group of entrepreneurs.  These microbusiness owners receive training on how to validate their business idea and turn it into reality.  While many are still in the planning stages, 53% of the 217 entrepreneurs trained have started businesses to date.  These 114 businesses are mostly start-ups, however, 6 of…
1 Apr

LAUNCH: Partnering for Impact

April 1, 2016     FSG Bank     News

Jamaal Macon spent five years as a franchisee of a commercial cleaning company before making a risky decision. He knew the financials were skewed in favor of the franchisor, and he wanted to be more than an employee. He wanted, instead, to own and operate his own cleaning company. But even though he was skilled at his work, Jamaal knew there were parts of the business with which he was…
14 Mar

Sometimes you just need to shut up and listen.

March 14, 2016     By LAUNCH     News

“SO YEARS AND YEARS AGO, I HAD THIS IDEA, WHY DON’T WE FOR ONCE, INSTEAD OF ARRIVING IN A COMMUNITY TO TELL PEOPLE WHAT TO DO, WHY DON’T [WE] FOR ONCE, LISTEN TO THEM...”   Who doesn't love a good Ted Talk? One of our favorites is from a few years ago and is delivered by sustainable development expert Ernesto Sirolli.  When most well-intentioned aid workers hear…
Some Brainerd High school students get an extra $2,500 to help pay for college or start up a business. It’s all thanks to LAUNCH’s Youth Entrepreneurship Competition.The 3-in-1 Toothbrush took the top prize at the LAUNCH pitch competition.It’s for travelers and people on the go because it contains a toothbrush, toothpaste and floss all in one unit. Read the full store over at WDEF.COM.