The LaunchPad + Incubator
Receive mentorship and up to $15,000 in funding to start your own business
The LaunchPad and Incubator sequence of courses provide professional mentorship to conceive, nurture, and launch real companies. Our Impact + Mastery Accelerator Fund offers up to $25,000 in funding each year to students looking to create a start-up venture or execute a significant media project. This process is open to students of all majors and is designed to support our students with the vision, intelligence, and drive to be entrepreneurs.
The LaunchPad
Junior Q3 + Senior Q1
The environment the LaunchPad creates is one of discovery, empathy, community, drive, and passion. Within this environment, students are guided through the process of business ideation, planning, and validation. How does one identify a problem? What might a solution look like? How does one build a profitable company around that solution? What are the moral and ethical concerns? Students are given the opportunity to rise to the challenge, and the mentorship to navigate the difficulties. They must bring dedication and drive to this rigorous, time-intensive entrepreneurial venture. Upon completion of this two-course sequence, students will have the opportunity to pitch their idea for initial seed funding to fuel their venture.
Seed Pitch
End of Senior Q1
Upon completion of the LaunchPad, students will be eligible to deliver their initial pitch. The progress made during the LaunchPad will be presented to a panel of judges. Students can be awarded seed funding based on the venture’s merit and need, empowering them to move to the next stage. Success in this pitch is a prerequisite to enter the Incubator program. The movement from idea to reality starts here.
The Incubator
Senior Q2 + Senior Q3
Students who earn seed funding will continue developing their idea into a business within the Incubator program. Over two courses, you’ll work one-on-one with a professional mentor in your field to develop a prototype or proof of concept, refine your business plan, and improve your pitch deck. How do you make your first prototype, win your first customer, and scale up your idea? By the end of this sequence, you’ll have a fully polished pitch deck to present at the IMA Fund pitch event.
Growth Funding Pitch
End of Senior Q3
During Graduation week, our IMA Fund Pitch Event gives finalists the chance to present their ideas to a panel of judges in front of an audience of classmates, families, and friends. A successful pitch will lead to additional funding to grow your business.
And Beyond
After Graduation
Students that successfully received growth funding will also be offered ongoing mentorship and resources after graduation as they execute and scale up their business.
Personalized Mentorship
If you are accepted into the Incubator, you’ll be paired with a professional mentor to help you prepare your project for the IMA Fund Pitch Event.
FEATURED MENTOR
Marc Burch
Adjunct Professor of Business and LaunchPad Mentor
Marc is a founder and VP of Business Development at ComoBlue - a software application development company for Social Networks. He helped develop ideation, social gaming and product strategy for Facebook and mobile applications. He managed the business development and partnerships with Facebook and mobile developers, ad networks and companies. He served as Entrepreneur-in-residence, subject matter expert, judge and mentor for funding grants at the Center of Commercialization of Advanced Technology for Homeland Security.
He is also an angel investor and executive entrepreneur providing early-stage capital. He has over 20 years of marketing, sales, business development, strategic partnerships and executive management experience in technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Actra (Netscape and GE Joint Venture), and MarketFirst. While at Actra, he managed an aggressive sales channel which helped Actra grow to a $127 million market valuation before the Netscape acquisition. At MarketFirst, he helped grow the company to over 240 employees with a $450 million valuation.
Featured Companies
Below are companies that formed or grew through mentorship from JPCatholic faculty.
New Eve Media
Jacob Spence (‘14) & Paul Massell (‘13)
A company providing video production, editing, and web design for clients.
View website
Jadies and Grace
Dana Huffman (‘17)
Jadies and Grace provides young girls with Christian-themed fashion dolls.
Watch Video View website
Archangel Drones
Luca Hoang (‘24)
Luca Hoang combined his love of aviation and photography to found Archangel Drones, through which he provides digital modeling and aerial photography. He was awarded funding at our 2024 Business Pitch Competition, where he shared plans to leverage additional technology to collect data and offer digital imaging for construction sites, civil engineers, and land surveyors.
Watch Video
Fund Your Invoice
Jason Cuevas (‘17)
Fund Your Invoice is a company that helps truckers and other independent contractors get paid earlier.
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Vandal's Games
Chris Carvalho (‘17)
Video Game collectors first, reseller second, Vandals Games has been buying and selling games for almost a decade.
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Zen Garden Productions
Alex Lash (‘16)
Zen Garden believes film has a power that no other artistic medium can rival. The combination of sight and sound blends to provide audiences with a personal and emotional experience that can leave them crying, laughing, or simply in awe.
Watch VideoHear from Students & Professors
LaunchPad Overview
Business Incubator
Business LaunchPad Experience