This isn't a class project. It’s a Launch Lab.
You don't fake a product. You don't fake the numbers. You don't get a grade.
You pick a real idea. You find real customers willing to pay for it. In Session 7, you sell it to the Clark County community at a real public event. In Session 9, you pitch to real judges for a $250 seed prize.
What you build is yours to keep going after the program ends.
Same structure, every time.
Welcome & Check-In (15–20 min) — You report one update on your business since last session. No hiding, no skipping.
Teaching (20 min) — Direct, practical instruction on that session's skill. No filler.
Build Period (60 min) — The core of the program. You work on your actual business, with coaches in the room helping you in real time.
Group Share (20 min) — You present what you built. Coaches and peers give you real feedback.
Homework & Close (10–15 min) — You leave with one specific commitment to complete before next session.
Idea to business in nine steps.
1. Who Are You and What Are You Building?
You walk in with an idea. You leave with a completed Business Model Canvas, a one-sentence description of your business, and a clear picture of your ideal customer.
Before Session 2: Interview 3 potential customers. Find out if they'd actually pay.
2. Is There a Market for This?
You bring back what real people told you and turn it into a validation report and competitive analysis — then refine your idea based on what you heard.
Before Session 3: Find one potential customer willing to commit to paying.
3. What Are You Selling?
You lock in exactly what you're offering — what's included, what's not, and how you'll describe it.
Before Session 4: Tell three people what you sell and what you charge. Write down how they react.
4. Pick Your Price
You calculate your true costs and set a real price with a real margin — not a guess.
Before Session 5: Have one real pricing conversation with a potential customer.
5. Find Your First Customers
You build a 30-day outreach plan with 20 real names, set up your Google Business Profile, and write your outreach scripts.
Before Session 6: Personally contact 5 people from your list. Social media doesn't count.
6. Your First Sales Conversation
You write your sales script, prepare for pushback, and make your first sale attempt.
Before Session 7: Contact 5 more people. Close at least one sale before the Soft Launch Event.
7. The Soft Launch Event — Public
This is it: the first time you sell to real customers from the Clark County community. No participation ribbons. You set your price, make your pitch, and exchange real money for something you built. Founding 100 members get early entry before the doors open to the public.
8. What Did You Learn? What Do You Change?
You analyze what happened at the Soft Launch, adjust your pricing or product, and start building your Pitch Night presentation.
Before Session 9: Practice your pitch at least three times.
9. Pitch Night — Public
You get five minutes in front of a panel of Clark County judges. What you built, who your customer is, how you make money, what you sold, and why it should keep going. The judges ask real questions. One student walks away with the $250 seed prize. Founding 100 members get front-row seats. The whole community is invited.
You're not doing this alone.
Every single session, Clark County business professionals are in the room with you — not as guest speakers, not occasionally, but every time.
They're there when you price something for the first time. They're there when you make your first sale. They're in the front row at Pitch Night.
The single biggest factor in whether a young person pursues entrepreneurship is whether they personally know someone who's done it. That's what your coaches are.
What you need to know
✓ Who: Clark County teens, ages 13–18
✓ Cost: Free. Permanently. Not a dollar, not ever, not for you or your family.
✓ Where: Cardinal Community Center, Winchester, KY
✓ When: First cohort starts September 2026
✓ Size: Up to 20 students per cohort
✓ Experience needed: None. Just an idea — or the willingness to find one.
Questions you might have
I don't have a business idea yet. Can I still apply?
Yes. Session 1 is built specifically to help you find and validate an idea. You don't need to show up with one already figured out.
What if my idea doesn't work?
That's exactly what Session 8 is for. Real businesses pivot. You'll learn how to read what the market told you and adjust — that's part of the program, not a failure of it.
Do I need money to start?
No. The whole point is learning to build something with what you have. Your coaches will help you figure out a low-cost or no-cost way to get started.
What happens after Pitch Night?
Your business is yours to keep running. And if you want to go further, Launch Lab graduates are first in line for The Academy, our 10-month advanced program launching in 2027.
Is this really free?
Yes. Every program the WCEA runs is free to every student, regardless of family income. That's permanent — not a Year 1 promotion.
