Launch

A pre-ideation product proving ground that hires TPZ alumni and local emerging entrepreneurs as co-founders on an exciting sprint to $1M in revenue.

As the initial revenue-generating arm of TPZ Ventures, Launch is a consumer product incubator  that develops TPZ Alumni and other young adult associates from the community to step into the role of co-founders. In this 11-month cohort program, each Founding Associate researches, ideates, and brings to life one new consumer product in a competitive, collaborative, all-out sprint to $1,000,000.

Participants learn the ins and outs of Product Management, Digital Marketing, and E-Commerce Operations under the direction of TPZ Ventures’ domain experts, while also working directly with Eship educators to support high school students’ experiences in the classroom. Founding Associates graduate from the Launch program with a skill set aligned with careers of the future post-program and will be well-positioned for roles with industry partners. Or, for products that demonstrate substantial revenue potential, Founding Associates may opt to continue with the company and secure a stake in its ownership.

Founding Associates in TPZ Venture’s Launch learn:

  • How to build a business that is financially sustainable;
  • How e-commerce businesses are structured and run;
  • How to effectively research product and market trends and perform pattern recognition analyses to generate high-performing product ideas;
  • The process of developing a physical product–from prototyping to manufacturing and everything in-between;
  • Mechanics of the pitch and an opportunity to pitch a product to get buy-in from colleagues and potential investors;
  • How to create and manage effective digital marketing campaigns

Applications Now Being Accepted for Fall 2024