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LaunchX, a pioneering force in youth entrepreneurship education, has consistently demonstrated the transformative power of young innovators in shaping the global business landscape. By combining rigorous, hands-on learning experiences with a deep belief in the capabilities of high school entrepreneurs, LaunchX stands at the forefront of fostering real-world entrepreneurial ventures. Recognized for its outstanding contributions and unwavering commitment to empowering future leaders, LaunchX was recently honored at the prestigious Global Brand Frontier Awards 2024 by Boston Brand Research & Media, earning the esteemed title of “Excellence in Youth Entrepreneurship Education – United States, 2024.”
Under the visionary leadership of President Forest Richter, LaunchX has expanded its reach and reinforced its reputation as a globally oriented organization. What began as a mission to help young people build real companies while still in high school has evolved into a thriving global network, offering cutting-edge curricula, mentorship from industry experts, and experiential programs that transcend traditional classroom boundaries. Through strategic collaborations, new initiatives, and robust global partnerships, LaunchX has created an inclusive platform where ambitious students from all corners of the world can transform ideas into tangible business ventures.
With a background in fostering innovation and a passion for nurturing emerging talent, Forest Richter continues to steer LaunchX toward new frontiers. Under his guidance, the organization has been introducing programs designed to expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs, enabling greater accessibility and impact. As LaunchX celebrates its latest accolade and looks ahead to the future, Boston Brand Research & Media is delighted to present an exclusive written interview with Forest Richter. Through this conversation, we aim to explore the ethos behind LaunchX’s success, the principles that shape its programs, and the vision that drives its global growth.
Below are the questions we posed to Forest Richter and his team, offering insights into the remarkable journey and aspirations of LaunchX.
LaunchX was originally founded in 2012 by Laurie Stach and ran as a program within MIT. Eventually opportunity presented itself to grow beyond the walls of MIT and the summer program expanded to other universities in the United States. In 2020, we ran our first online cohort due to COVID. It was through that initiative that we really learned about the strong global appetite for entrepreneurial education. Even as we have returned back to onsite programming, we’ll be returning to San Francisco and Boston this summer, we have expanded our online opportunities to continue serving our global student population. This year we are adding additional programs to continue meeting students where they are geographically, economically, and within their entrepreneurial journey.
Our core vision is that entrepreneurship is about execution. We emphasize experiential learning.
2. What key gaps in youth entrepreneurship education did you initially seek to address, and how have these goals evolved over time?
There is very limited support or belief in the capabilities of young people to successfully launch and run a business. These founders are often underestimated or overlooked entirely. LaunchX is the program that demonstrates that age is not a limiting factor in entrepreneurial success. We are running the program that I wish existed when I was in high school. Over time, we have simply broadened our reach and gotten more ambitious with our outcomes.
3. Reputation and Rigor of Programs: LaunchX is known for the strong reputation and rigor of its programs. What sets your curriculum and approach apart from traditional entrepreneurship education?
Our program is about helping young people develop functioning, scalable businesses. During our four to five week program, our expectation is that students will move all the way from ideation through revenue generation, and 90% of our students meet this goal. Being able to answer test questions about business growth is great, but if it doesn’t translate to real revenue, that value is severely diminished. We are not just teaching students about customer acquisition, we are insisting that students step outside of their comfort zone and acquire real, paying customers.
4. How do you ensure that students not only learn theory but also develop practical skills to launch real ventures?
At LaunchX we start building on day 1. We know that any product is going to require multiple iterations before going to market, but velocity to market also matters. Our days are structured to optimize direct impact on the students’ specific business. We are only in lectures for a few hours each day. We connect them with business mentors and speakers for feedback. However, LaunchX students must demonstrate a tremendous amount of self-accountability and autonomy. This is not a regular classroom. We don’t do grades. We view success as building and selling a product.
5. Belief in Young Entrepreneurs: LaunchX has always championed the potential of young innovators. How do you cultivate entrepreneurial mindsets in students, especially those who might doubt their own capabilities?
At this point, LaunchX is well known enough that the majority of our students arrive with a fairly strong entrepreneurial mindset. The biggest contribution we make for student mindset is the cultivation of comfort in failure. Failure is inevitable when launching a business venture. It is my responsibility to help students understand that failing fast is a good thing and it allows us to refine our efforts for future iterations. Our students tend to be very high achievers, and are generally not accustomed to failing. Its important that we help them to understand that a business or product failure is not indicative of them being a failure as a person.
6. Can you share any success stories or notable achievements from your alumni that exemplify this belief?
We have some truly amazing alumni. One alumni recently secured Series F funding for his unicorn startup. Another alum was just on the cover of Forbes 30 under 30. But I’m going to highlight a company that was started this past summer, Hawkeye, because they have demonstrated a tremendous amount of grit and bravery. They developed an application to help protect fellow teenagers from online predation. In order to successfully get this product into market, they needed to address an uncomfortable reality for many teenagers. This meant opening up about some of their own negative online experiences. There was no guarantee this would lead to positive business outcomes, but they believed in their work and their mission; they were willing to risk failing in a very vulnerable way. They have successfully brought Hawkeye to market and are now planning a full public launch for this spring.
7. Global Reach and Impact: In addition to your roots in the United States, LaunchX now has a significant international footprint. Could you highlight how the program has evolved to serve a global audience?
When we first brought the LaunchX program online in 2020, we were not prepared for the international interest. Today, roughly 75% of applicants submit from outside of the United States. We are now running three online cohorts across different timezones in an effort to better accommodate the schedules of these students. We ran our first international student pitch competition in Fall of 2024. In March we are running a regionally specific pitch competition to meet a growing interest in youth entrepreneurship across eastern Africa. We also will be hosting an international youth entrepreneurship conference this summer.
I intend to continue expanding internationally across all of these programs to continue generating access and opportunities for young entrepreneurs around the globe.
8. What cultural or regional nuances have you had to consider when expanding LaunchX’s offerings to different parts of the world?
The beauty of our expansion is that we already factor international consideration within our curriculum. We simply need to practice the same cultural awareness that we preach. The teams we build blend students from all over the world. We often encounter friction based on unique cultural expectations. We have long taught that respectfully navigating cultural differences is a core tenet of running a successful business. If you want to sell your product in a specific region, you need to sell within that region in a way that will be received warmly. If you want to expand your team internationally, you need to understand that employees from different countries will carry different expectations of their employer. Understanding and accommodating different cultural nuances is a prerequisite for a successful business.
9. New Initiatives and Greater Access: We understand LaunchX is rolling out new initiatives aimed at increasing access for young people. Could you shed light on some of these programs?
For the very first time, we are going to be running a shorter program that we’re calling the LaunchX Bootcamp. I wanted to establish more opportunities to say ‘yes’ to young people interested in starting their own business. The Bootcamp is an opportunity for us to cover the key foundational elements of starting a business. It will be at a lower pricepoint and less of a time commitment in order to better accommodate the needs of our applicants. It also give us a place to direct applicants who may not be ready for our core programming today. Successful completion of LaunchX Bootcamp guarantees admission to one of our core programs in the future
We continue to work on opportunities to broaden our reach and amplify the great work being done by young entrepreneurs. In addition to the AwardX pitch competitions and the youth entrepreneurship conference, we’re also collaborating on a program to place student interns directly into early stage startups. We also publish valuable entrepreneurship information that is accessible to everyone. I’m particularly fond of the podcast we launched this year in conjunction with one of our alums, Fueling Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs.
10. In what ways will these initiatives address financial, geographical, or other barriers that might prevent talented students from joining LaunchX?
The goal for us is to broaden accessibility in our offerings. I want LaunchX to be a supportive resource for young entrepreneurs, full stop. That means ensuring that LaunchX has meaningful, valuable resources and opportunities for young entrepreneurs regardless of background or where they may be in their entrepreneurial journey. My hope is to develop our offerings to a point where everyone is able to find a LaunchX program that fits their specific needs.
11. Mentorship and Industry Partnerships: Mentorship is a crucial component of entrepreneurship education. How does LaunchX forge and maintain relationships with industry experts, mentors, and corporate partners?
Typically, the value that LaunchX provides is easily recognized by external supporters. With the passion and drive our students demonstrate, its a very rewarding experience to come and help them navigate the nuances of starting a business. I often hear from our mentors how much they wish a program like LaunchX existed when they were in high school.
12. What role do these partnerships play in shaping the overall student experience and the outcomes of their ventures?
These partnerships are an integral part of the LaunchX experience. The individuals that we bring in to help are experienced professionals who have deep domain expertise. They ground the theoretical into the practical. They also provide a key educational opportunity for our students to connect and network with others. These relationships often persist well beyond the length of our program.
13. Innovation and Curriculum Development: LaunchX is known to adapt swiftly to changing business landscapes. How do you integrate emerging trends—such as AI, sustainability, or social impact—into your curriculum?
Its very important to me that we practice what we preach. And what we preach is keeping a pulse on market trends and customer interests. My background is in tech startups and venture funding, so I already carry a passion for that space. I pay attention to what types of startups are generating investor interest as well as what technologies are attracting consumer interest. The truth is, though, I am often becoming aware of a future trend based on what our students are interested in. They are on the cutting edge of technoloy and are the future customers of our global economy. I usually get a chance to see what will soon be hot, based on student interest.
As far as curriculum integration, we have to keep up with what is relevant and cycle out dated information for what is new and relevant. The proliferaion of ai is particularly impactful for us. Through ai no-code solutions, we are seeing significantly more robust software products being developed with less time and effort. It has never been more accessible to build and launch a technology product.
14. How does the organization stay ahead of global market shifts to keep its programs relevant and future-focused?
Certainly, I always want our curriculum to be relevant and reflective of the broader market. With that said, success as an entreprenuer is so much more about executing well on the simple things. On occasion, I will have students attend LaunchX who have immersed themselves in entrepreneurial best practices. They come to LaunchX with the expectation that I am going to impart some deep, secret founder wisdom on them. When in reality what I’m really going to do is push them to take their knowledge and effectively put it into practice.
15. Leadership and Team Culture: As the President of LaunchX, what leadership principles guide you and your team in daily operations and strategic planning?
The single biggest guiding principle I have as a leader is to hire good people and let them do good work. We have an incredible team. All of them are better at their jobs than I would be if I was in their seat. The last thing I need to do is get in the way of their ability to execute effectively. I view is as my responsibilty to support and empower them.
16. How do you foster an environment that values innovation, collaboration, and continued learning?
I don’t worry about silos or stepping on toes. I also am not afraid to fail or afraid to say “I don’t know”. I encourage as much crossfunctional collaboration as possible. Everyone has interests and abilities beyond their core job functions. By creating an environment that allows people to safely explore supporting different areas of the business, they get to grow professionally while finding work more interesting and fulfilling.
17. Measurement of Success: Beyond the number of ventures launched, how does LaunchX measure its impact on students’ personal and professional growth?
From a true kpi perspective, we take Net Promoter Score (NPS) seriously. Our students are also our customers. Being an entrepreneur is very difficult, so I can’t control that side of the equation. But I can control whether or not our students feel like we’ve provided the appropriate tools and support needed to be successful. My goal is to present the realities of starting a business in a way that feels accessible and safe.
Anecdotally, my favorite piece of feedback is when alumni return and tell me about an experience that happened to them in the real world, that they were prepared to tackle because of their time in LaunchX. I find that some of the biggest takeaways from LaunchX are often overlooked by students in real time. Its often months or even years later when they encounter a situation and have a lightbulb moment reflecting back on something we worked through within the program.
18. Are there specific metrics or milestones you use to gauge the effectiveness of your programs and initiatives?
The answer is simple, but its revenue generated by the students. Revenue carries no subjectivity. Every dollar in the door is a vote from the market regarding the entrepreneurial effectiveness of the student. Everything we teach is specifically tied to the effectiveness in revenue generation. I may think a student is approaching a problem completely backward, but if it generates sales, that market feedback is rightfully more important than my opinion.
19. Looking Ahead: With LaunchX’s continued expansion and new accolades—such as the Global Brand Frontier Award—what are your priorities and aspirations for the coming years?
One of the things that I love about entrepreneurship is that anyone can be a successful founder. There is no barrier to entry. We’re all capable of launching a business given the right support and opportunity. In addition to our geographic expansion. LaunchX is going to create more opportunities and resources for young entrepreneurs, regardless of whether they are part of our program or not.
20. How do you envision LaunchX shaping the future of youth entrepreneurship on a global scale?
Given the speed at which new technologies are advancing, its never been easier for someone to build something that can change the world. New technology is almost always adopted by youth first, we’re seeing this with our students’ familiarity and comfort using AI tools. I don’t believe that young people are less capable of being successful founders, they have lacked opportunities and resources. I believe the next generation of entrepreneurs is ready and LaunchX is going to be first in line to welcome them.
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