Launch Lab is authentic business experience, not an academic exercise. Students develop real ideas, find actual paying customers, and keep ownership of the businesses they build — long after the program ends.
Nine sessions, one consistent structure — built so students always know what's coming next.
What each stretch of the program actually asks of you.
You walk in with an idea. You leave with a plan — the foundation for everything you'll build over the next eight sessions.
Build the product. Price it. Find real customers. Make your first real sale — with Clark County coaches beside you every step.
Session 2 milestone: you bring back what real people told you and turn it into a validation report.
Sell your product at a public event. Real people. Real money. No pretending, no fake numbers.
Review what worked. Sharpen your pitch before you take it in front of the whole community.
Present to real judges in front of the Clark County community. One student wins the $250 seed prize.
Clark County business professionals are in the room with you — not once, but every single session.
Location: Cardinal Community Center, Winchester, KY.
Start date: September 2026.
Requirements: none. If you don't have an idea yet, you'll develop one during the program.
Launch Lab graduates can advance into The Academy, WCEA's advanced 10-month program launching in 2027 — where a validated idea becomes an operating business.
Learn about The AcademyFree, nine sessions, open to any Clark County teen ages 13–18 — no business experience required.