Global 2022 Student Pitch Competition with Blackstone Launchpad

TL;DR

Blackstone Launchpad’s Global 2022 Student Pitch Competition showcases five student-led companies selected from 130 applications. Launchpad operates on 46 college campuses after a $40 million commitment to expand to 70, while finalist Staff on Tap proposes a marketplace connecting understaffed nursing homes with temporary nurses. Read on for the competition format, Launchpad’s mission, and concrete details about Staff on Tap’s traction and growth plan.

Transcript

so welcome to blackstone launchpad pitch competition this year we're very excited to be at startup grind main stage i think this is main stage what this stage and very excited to be here this year after coming out of covid in several years of not having our conference or our pitch competition this has just been quite an inspiring couple of days for... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🎓 Blackstone Launchpad recognizes the importance of entrepreneurial skills for all college students, not just those with specific business ideas.
• 🎓 The pitch competition showcases innovative solutions addressing various challenges, such as healthcare staffing, customer engagement, education, and environmental restoration.

Questions & Answers

Q: What happened at the Global 2022 Student Pitch Competition with Blackstone Launchpad?

Five student teams selected from 130 applications pitched their companies at Startup Grind. Each team received one minute to pitch, followed by five to seven minutes of questions from the judges.

Q: What is the purpose of Blackstone Launchpad?

Blackstone Launchpad helps college students develop entrepreneurial skills, whether or not they already have a business idea. Its campus programs have operated for about ten years and were described as incubators for student entrepreneurs.

Q: How many college campuses have Blackstone Launchpad programs?

At the time of the competition, Blackstone Launchpad operated on 46 college campuses. Blackstone had made a $40 million commitment to expand the program to 70 campuses within the next couple of years.

Q: Who judged the Blackstone Launchpad pitch competition?

The judges included Kelly Burton, executive director of Black Innovation Alliance, and Kelsey Davis, founder and CEO of Collective. Christine Feng, a senior managing director at Blackstone in its San Francisco office, also served as a judge.

Q: What is Staff on Tap?

Staff on Tap is a digital marketplace that connects understaffed nursing homes with temporary nurses. Founder Kayla Foley said it provides quality nurses to nursing homes for a competitive fee while offering nurses pay for performance and flexibility.

Q: How much traction had Staff on Tap achieved?

In four months, Staff on Tap attracted more than 130 nursing professionals and 82 nursing homes to its minimum viable product. It also began a soft launch in March with 22 nursing-home partners to collect data and test its processes.

Q: How does Staff on Tap attract nurses and nursing homes?

Staff on Tap recruits nurses through Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, social media, and cold calls. Foley said her lifelong connection to the nursing-home industry helped attract partners, while nurses valued the ability to set their own rates, schedules, and locations.

Q: How does Staff on Tap plan to match nurses with nursing homes?

Nurses create profiles containing their certifications, experience, and past nursing-home reviews. Staff on Tap is initially focusing on nursing homes so it can identify the right nurses before expanding to settings such as assisted living and home care.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Blackstone Launchpad aims to promote entrepreneurial skills among college students through incubators on campuses, recognizing the need for entrepreneurship education beyond just business ideas.

• The pitch competition features five finalists presenting their innovative companies and solutions, such as Staff on Tap connecting nursing homes with temporary nurses and Banzai using AI-powered assistance for customer engagement.

• Other solutions in the competition include Mindsets and Milestones offering an entrepreneurial curriculum for high school girls and Spora's green gravel method for kelp reforestation to combat the decline of kelp forests.