Launchpad Philly Information

At Launchpad, we build AI and data tools for organizations, and we train young Philadelphians to build them. Launchpad Inc., our nonprofit social enterprise, does the work. Client revenue pays the developers and funds the mission. Employers expect experience, and the entry-level jobs that used to provide it are disappearing. Rather than train young people and send them into a market that isn't hiring, we created the experience ourselves. Every phase is a bridge to a stronger future, not a destination. How participants get there: Launchpad 101: entry-level training for high school seniors, with pathways in software development and entrepreneurial leadership and two industry credentials. LiftOff: six months, full-time and in person in Center City, training young adults ages 18 to 24 as Junior AI Builders. Launchpad Inc.: real, paid client work during LiftOff and as contractors after graduation, until participants move into permanent roles. All of our programming is stipended, with no tuition. Most participants come from non-selective public high schools and are not headed to a four-year degree.