Newswise — The official grand opening of Blackstone LaunchPad at USC marks a new opportunity for students at the University of Southern California to pursue entrepreneurship as a viable career path. Since opening its doors in spring 2014, Blackstone LaunchPad at USC, USC’s first cross-campus entrepreneurship program, has supported approximately 70 startup teams and over 200 registered students. The organization, which is based at the Annenberg Innovation Lab, works with over 15 student groups and has a combined reach of over 2,500 students. Through individualized coaching and support in venture creation, Blackstone LaunchPad at USC helps students develop entrepreneurial skills and mindsets
WHAT: Grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Blackstone LaunchPad at USC. Journalists are invited to preview a showcase of projects developed by students at USC Annenberg, USC Marshall School of Business, USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Keck School of Medicine of USC and other USC schools.
Student projects include:
• Desert Farms, America's first retail camel's milk company• Bread & Butter, which connects food retailers with a daily food surplus with underserved communities• Q-Cigarettes, a low-tech, low-cost tool to improve the delivery of nicotine polacrilex gum to quitting smokers• Piggy, which helps users save money by depositing all change from purchases back into their bank accounts
WHEN: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov 5. Ribbon cutting at 4:50 p.m.
WHO: The event will feature representatives from Blackstone and members of the USC and greater Los Angeles entrepreneurship community. Special guests include:
• Michael Quick, Executive Vice Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, USC• Ernest J. Wilson III, Ph.D., Walter Annenberg Chair in Communication and Dean of Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, USC• Peter Marx, Chief Innovation Technology Officer, City of Los Angeles• Jonathan Taplin, Director, USC Annenberg Innovation Lab• Amy Stursberg, Executive Director, Blackstone Charitable Foundation
WHERE: University of Southern California, Annenberg Innovation Lab (ASC 103), 3502 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089.
PARKING: RSVP for parking and driving directions.
ABOUT BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD AT USC:
With a recurring workshop curriculum and seven trained coaches available for venture consulting, Blackstone LaunchPad at USC has a dedicated staff of Trojan Alumni and advocates throughout the L.A. ecosystem who empower student leaders.Modeled after a program at University of Miami and further developed and expanded by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation, Blackstone LaunchPad is currently available to more than 350,000 undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni and faculty at 15 colleges and universities nationwide.
In February of 2014, the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced Blackstone LaunchPad’s expansion into Southern California, with a three-year, $3.5 million grant to establish a partnership between The University of California, Los Angeles, The University of California, Irvine, The University of Southern California, and The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. This partnership will provide over 110,000 university students in Southern California, with a network of venture coaches and an entrepreneurial support system.
ABOUT THE ANNENBERG INNOVATION LAB:
The University of Southern California's Annenberg Innovation Lab (AIL), located at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, is a Think and Do Tank that creates prototypes, publications, and participatory learning experiences to explore emerging challenges and opportunities in media and culture. The Lab combines leading domain experts from across USC’s campus and thought leaders from our sponsors, some of the world’s most innovative global companies and public sector entities. http://www.annenberglab.com
ABOUT THE BLACKSTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION:
The Blackstone Charitable Foundation was founded at the time of Blackstone’s IPO in 2007 with substantial commitments from the Firm’s employees. Influenced by the enterprising heritage of the firm and its founders, The Blackstone Charitable Foundation is directing its resources and applying the intellectual capital of the firm to foster entrepreneurship in areas nationwide and globally. Through its investment expertise across several asset classes and geographies, Blackstone has a unique perspective on the global economy and a heightened understanding of how entrepreneurial activity is often the crucial catalyst in the growth of successful businesses, industries and communities. For more information, see http://www.blackstone.com/foundation.
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