Changes

= <span style="font-size:larger;">Purpose </span> =

<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Blackstone's Charitable Foundation includes an "Entrepreneurship Initiative", a part of which is their Blackstone LaunchPad program. &nbsp;From their description:</span></span>

<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;"><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">"Blackstone LaunchPad is a national model for fostering entrepreneurship through higher education. Based on a successful program at the&nbsp;</span>[http://www.thelaunchpad.org/ University of Miami]<span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); font-family: georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">, it encourages entrepreneurial thinking and activity among undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty and alumni for the purpose of incubating a new generation of entrepreneurs who will contribute to the economic revitalization of distressed regions."</span></span></span>

<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Their main goal is to educate and "Supercharge Regional Economies." They do this by focusing on areas in which the entrepreneurial ecosystem is underdeveloped. They connect these regions with an influx of what they consider to be "high growth ventures" from students and building a network of already successful entrepreneurs around them.&nbsp;</span></span>

<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">They have a simple incubation process:</span></span>

#<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">A young entrepreneur completes a profile that al members of the Launch Pad Community can access, and they complete a "Venture Assessment Form" that illustrates the details of their expected market, competitors, and the future of their product</span></span>#<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Pair a student with a master entrepreneur to develop a business idea. These entrepreneurs can recognize great potential and they guide subjects through the rigorous process. The subject can meet regularly with the LaunchPad staff as well.</span></span>#<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Blackstone does the networking and provides the student with the proper resources- they are able to meet a number of business leaders in their area to recieve additional mentorship. Partnerships are also formed with programs, firms, and investors in the area.</span></span>#<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Blackstone helps bring their product to the market, and this creates new jobs in the area, leaving a lasting, sustainable network</span></span>

 <span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">Blackstone Launchpad also has programs which work in regions that have some pre-existing entrepreneurial activity. They create what they call an "Innovation Hub" in this area to coordinate resources they already have and expand them to new territories.&nbsp;</span></span>