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<blockquote><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium"><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); line-height: 17px">"Blackstone is the world’s largest independent alternative asset manager, serving the investment needs of leading&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); line-height: 17px; font-size: medium; font-family: georgia, serif">public pension funds, academic and charitable institutions and other investors for more than 25 years.&nbsp;&nbsp;Our funds include private equity funds, real estate funds, customized hedge fund solution funds, credit-oriented funds and publicly traded closed-end mutual funds.&nbsp; In addition, we provide investment advice and management services to institutional investors through a variety of separately managed accounts. "</span></blockquote><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">''Blackstone LaunchPad'' is a&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">campus based&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">entrepreneurship program, accessible by over 500,000 students globally, designed to support and mentor students, staff and alumni - regardless of major, experience or discipline.</span></span>&nbsp;<span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium"><span style="line-height: 17px">This program is available mostly in economically depressed regions of California, Montana, Central Florida, Pennslyvania, Ohio and Michigan. Blackstone&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="line-height: 17px"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">recently partnered with VentureBoard to supply services for the ''LaunchPad '' program.</span></span></span><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">&nbsp;VentureBoard is two-sided 'Startup Data Platform', specifically oriented for universities and early stage startup ecosystems.</span></span>

<blockquote><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;"><span style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); 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); 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></blockquote><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">The main goal is to educate and "Supercharge Regional Economiessupercharge 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:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">A young entrepreneur completes a profile that all 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:medium;"><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:medium;"><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>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">''Blackstone LaunchPad '' is a unique resource for Universities because very few campus incubators are run by external resources. Typically, these incubators are somewhat limited to an alumni network and the resources they have to offer, where as ''Blackstone LaunchPad '' has a very diverse collection of Entrepreneurial Masters to educate, coach, and connect students with the rest of the entrepreneurial world. ''LaunchPad '' offers the networking and resources of being a leading global venture capital firm.</span></span>

== <span style="font-size:larger">'''<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)medium; font-family: Arial">VentureBoard: An Online Entrepreneurship Platform</span>'''</span><br/> == <span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size: larger"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">VentureBoard is an online entrepreneurship platform for students, entrepreneurers, universities, and organizations.&nbsp; It is the basis of Blackstone Launchpad's website, and is also available as a stand-alone product.</span></span></span> <span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size: larger"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Universities and organizations that adopt VentureBoard are provided with a way to organize advising for students and aspiring (or current) entrepreneurers, as well as provide resources and track the progress and performance of their spin-offs and startups.</span></span></span> <span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size: larger"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Students and entrepreneurers that use VentureBoard through such an institutuion have access to mentorship opportunities, as well as resources such as a business model canvas, closed discussion boards, a search option to find potential business partners or interested parties, and other contextual resources.&nbsp; Students and entrepreneurers can also express interest in seeking venture capital funding, alerting their mentor and institution so that they can provide potential connections.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-familysize:georgia,serifmedium;"><span style="font-sizefamily: largergeorgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Beyond Blackstone LaunchpadStudents and entrepreneurers that use VentureBoard through such an institutuion have access to mentorship opportunities, VentureBoard is currently used by University of Marylandas well as resources such as a business model canvas, closed discussion boards, a search option to find potential business partners or interested parties, and other contextual resources.&nbsp; Students and entrepreneurers can also express interest in seeking venture capital funding, NC State University alerting their mentor and Duke Universityinstitution so that they can provide potential connections.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-familysize:georgia,serifmedium;"><span style="font-sizefamily: largergeorgia,serif"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">Ventureboard was created Beyond Blackstone Launchpad, VentureBoard is currently used by Scott BlockUniversity of Maryland, Justin Searles, Avi Eisenberger NC State University and Jordan Goldstein, students at the Duke University of Maryland.&nbsp; The platform evolved to fill a gap they perceived in the ability of entreperenurially-minded students at their school to connect with one another to form successful startups.</span></span></span>

 <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="; font-size: larger"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)medium;">More information can be found on VentureBoard's website, at </span>[http://ventureboard.co ventureboard.co].</span></spanstyle="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">.</span>

<span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size: medium; line-height: 20px">'''Q-Cigarettes&nbsp;'''</span></span><span style="font-size: medium; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px">'''-&nbsp;'''Drew Park, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and a first-year master’s student at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, pitched his company's unique new treatment for tobacco dependence at&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size: medium; color: rgb(52, 52, 52); line-height: 1.3em">Wake Forest's 2014 Retail and Health Innovation Challenge, taking home the grand prize of $25,000. &nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span>

<span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">'''Fever Smart -&nbsp;'''A Penn and Wharton collaboration, non-invasive fever monitoring technology : Fever Smart , won $10,000 at the first "Rise Above the Rest " student speed pitch competition.</span></span>

<span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><span style="font-size:medium">'''Roar for Good -&nbsp;'''Wearable self-defense technologhy "Roar for Good " raised over $260,000 on Kickstarter, receiving more than 4,000 orders from 47 countries around the world. &nbsp;"Roar for Good " will also compete for a $70,000 grand prize at the SBA InnovateHer Challenge Competition in March.</span></span>

= <br/> Community Impact =

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">''Blackstone LaunchPad'' not only helps budding entrepreneurs; it also aids the local economy surrounding the university the students are attending. The ventures that students create help increase the number of jobs available in the area, and expand the network of professionals in the region.</span></span><div style= "text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:xmedium;">'''Nationwide & Statewide Impacts:'''</span></div>*<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-largefamily:georgia,serif;">Community Impact'''White House's Startup America Initiative- "'''<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px;">Startup America is a White House initiative that was launched to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation" More details can be found at the website-&nbsp;</span>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/business/startup-america http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/business/startup-america]</span></span> =

<span style="font-size: larger;"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif;">Blackstone LaunchPad not only helps budding entrepreneurs; it also aids the local economy surrounding the university the students are attending. The ventures that students create help increase the number of jobs available in the area, and expand the network of professionals in the region.</span></span><div style="text-align: center;">'''Nationwide & Statewide Impacts:'''</div>*<span style="font-size:larger;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''White House's Startup America Initiative- "'''<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px;">Startup America is a White House initiative that was launched to celebrate, inspire, and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation" More details can be found at the website-&nbsp;</span>[http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/business/startup-america http://www.whitehouse.gov/economy/business/startup-america]</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''California-'''&nbsp;Largest grant of $3.5 million, over 100,000 students affected within California, 350,000 students nationwide involved in networks created</span></span> *<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''Montana-&nbsp;'''Blackstone Charitable Foundation partnership with University of Montana, Montana State University and Headwaters RC&D creating 200,000 person peer community which encompasses 150 new ventures and has generated hundreds of jobs</span></span> *<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''Central Florida-&nbsp;'''Blackstone Charitable Foundation partnership established with $1.4 million grant to UCF and U. Miami, focus on entrepreneurship education in respective universities</span></span> *<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''Pennsylvania-'''Blackstone Charitable Foundation partnership est. with $3 million grant to Philadelphia and Temple University and University City Science Center, total of 40,836 students impacted</span></span> *<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''Ohio-'''&nbsp;Blackstone Charitable Foundation created annual $3.2 million contribution with Burton D. Morgan Foundation to be put towards numerous universities in Northeast Ohio, impacting over 72,000 students. The Burton D. Morgan Foundation invests in numerous entrepreneurially focused organizations and institutions to strengthen free enterprise</span></span> *<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgia,serif;">'''New Economy Initiative (NEI)&nbsp;'''(Michigan)- $2 million contribution to boost employment and restart the economy specifically in Detroit after economic crises</span></span>

= <span style="font-sizefamily:xarial,helvetica,sans-largeserif;"><span style="font-familysize: georgia, seriflarger;">Schools and associations with Blackstone LaunchPad Program&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</span> =

<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">'''California'''</span></span>

*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">UCLA</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">UC Irvine</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">USC</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation</span></span>

<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">'''Florida'''</span></span>'''Florida'''

*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial, helvetica,sans-serif;">University of Central Florida</span></span>

<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial, helvetica,sans-serif;">'''Michigan'''</span></span>'''Michigan'''

*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial, helvetica,sans-serif;">Wayne State University</span></span>*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial,helvetica, sans-serif;">Walsh College</span></span>

<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">'''Montana'''</span></span>

*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">University of Montana</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Montana State University</span></span>

<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">'''Ohio'''</span></span>

*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kent State University</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Lorain County Community College</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Baldwin Wallace University</span></span>*<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Case Western Reserve University</span></span>

<span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">'''Pennsylvania'''</span></span>

*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial, helvetica,sans-serif;">Temple University</span></span>*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial,helvetica, sans-serif;">University City Science Center</span></span>*<span style="font-size: largermedium;"><span style="font-family: georgiaarial, helvetica,sans-serif;">Philadelphia University</span></span>

<span style="font-size:largermedium;"><span style="font-family:georgiaarial,helvetica,sans-serif;">All of these schools offer the Blackstone LaunchPad program and interested students can follow the multi-step process listed above to get involved.</span></span>

== <span style="font-sizefamily:xarial,helvetica,sans-largeserif;"><span style="font-familysize: georgia, serifx-large;">Sucess Stories:</span></span> ==

<span style="font-sizefamily:largearial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-familysize: georgia, seriflarge;">Enter sucess stories here.</span></span>

= Contact Information Us =

<div class="HeadingGeorgia" style="font-size: 32px; font-family: georgia; color: black; line-height: 38px">Contact Us</div><div class="subContentDetail" style="margin-top: 4px; width: 515px; line-height: 17px; color: rgb(94, 94, 94); font-family: Georgia, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"></div><div class="subHeading" style="color: rgb(94, 94, 94); font-family: Georgia, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px"></div><div class="headerBottomSpaceText" style="padding: 0px 0px 29px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(94, 94, 94); font-family: Georgia, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17px"></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0)">'''United States&nbsp;'''</spandiv>