Paid to Launch: Co-Founding as a Career Pathway – SXSWEDU27 Proposal
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SXSW EDU Proposal: Paid to Launch: Co-Founding as a Career Pathway
Session Format: Panel Discussion (60 minutes)
Primary Track: Work Reimagined track (focus area: Continuing Education)
Description:
What happens when workforce development looks like a paid co-founder seat instead of a certificate? This session unpacks a six-month program that hires young adults from under-invested communities to develop and launch real consumer products — with full pay and a share in the financial upside of what they build.
A program leader, a young co-founder, and an industry product developer walk through the stage-gate curriculum, from market discovery to go-to-market, and show how gate reviews and live sales replace grades as evidence of learning. Together we ask what career-connected learning demands of employers.
Takeaways:
- See a replicable non-degree pathway where young adults earn full pay and a share in the financial upside of what they build.
- Learn how stage gates, peer reviews, and real market results replace grades as evidence of readiness.
- Explore how employer partnerships, from hackathons to hiring, turn a nonprofit program into an industry talent pipeline.
Speakers:
Lori Archibald
As VP, Chief of Staff and Engineering Process at SharkNinja, Lori drives the company’s global engineering organization, accelerating innovation, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration. She partners with engineering and product development to scale the company’s innovation engine and bring breakthrough consumer products to market. With roles spanning robotics, product development, and management, Lori understand how exceptional products come to life. Prior to SharkNinja, she held engineering roles at Hasbro, Converse and Reebok, building deep expertise in consumer product development and engineering. Lori is passionate about developing talent and fostering innovation, and supports SharkNinja’s initiatives to cultivate the next generation of product innovators.
Jeremy Martindale
Jeremy started at The Possible Zone (TPZ) Ventures as a Founding Associate, where he researched market trends, came up with demand-aligned concepts, and ultimately validated and brought a new consumer product to life as part of the Launch program. His product is Terrix, a modular terrarium designed for PC users and home gardening enthusiasts. Terrix recently received the audience choice first place award at Massachusetts Innovation Night at Boston’s Museum of Science. Jeremy, a TPZ alumnus, now works as an Educator with TPZ, where he helps the next generation of high school students build the skills they need for careers of the future.
Moderator:
Eliza Petrow
Eliza is the Chief Business Officer at The Possible Zone (TPZ), where she leads TPZ Ventures—a physical product incubator that trains youth from underinvested communities to develop and launch consumer products as co-founders. Her career began in nonprofit public health and education, with over a decade spent in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and China where she worked both as a donor and implementer. She later served as Investment Director at Zino Ventures and co-founded Chain Reaction, an angel group investing in early-stage blockchain startups. Eliza holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an MSc from the Harvard School of Public Health. She is an active member of Launchpad Venture Group and mentors with VenCapital, which supports women and minority investors entering venture finance.