This isn't three programs — it's a pipeline. Each stage builds on the last, moving a Clark County teen from a first idea all the way to an operating business with a permanent support network behind it.
9 sessions · Clark County teens ages 13–18 · a coach in every session.
Participants develop their first real business, find real customers, and take part in a public Soft Launch Event and Pitch Night — $250 seed prize.
48 sessions, 10 months · Launch Lab graduates only · a year-long mentor.
Students build an operating business with a real financial structure, culminating in Demo Day — $500 seed prize.
Ongoing, no end date · all WCEA graduates · an alumni peer network.
An annual showcase, real investor connections, and a way to give back as a coach or mentor to the next cohort.
Each stage is built to move students through complementary work, not repeat the same content twice. Launch Lab proves the idea can work. The Academy proves it can run as a real business. The Exchange proves it can last — and turns each graduate into the next generation's mentor.
The vision goes beyond any one student's success: a self-perpetuating cycle where the people who built something here stay to help the next group build something too.
Every WCEA journey begins with Launch Lab — free, no experience required, and open to any Clark County teen ages 13–18.