Catapult Lakeland

Catapult Lakeland, Inc. engages and equips local entrepreneurs, artisans, and emerging leaders with a variety of tools and resources to create a community that is stronger, more distinctive, and sustainable. Catapult's program and operating costs are funded by private individuals, foundations and earned revenue. All programs take place in Lakeland, Florida. As the city grows in number, it is our vision to see the creation of a thriving entrepreneurial-minded community. We want to assist in the creation and growth of companies that are going to add to Lakeland's diverse industry base, provide additional jobs to our growing population, contribute to the overall enhancement of the city's quality of life, and fill vacant storefronts in our city. Catapult fosters the growth of startups by listening to members' needs and connecting them with resources to help them grow their businesses. People with varying backgrounds and different dreams all come together because of their shared passion to start something new. Through a membership at Catapult, startup founders get access to resources to propel their business forward.

Catapult's mentor program facilities one-on-one relationships that are mutually beneficial to both mentor and mentee. These individual relationships result in personal and professional accomplishments for both parties. All other aspects of the program inherently support the relationship and well-rounded development of the mentee. Programs include: experts in residence - Catapult's six different experts in residence provide one-on-one guidance to founders in areas such as accounting, human resources, and branding. These meetings help entrepreneurs get answers to their specific questions, brainstorm new ideas, and solve immediate problems. Seed-to-scale program - through Florida southern college's center for free enterprise and entrepreneurship, students who are building innovative businesses can utilize the equipment, programs, and connections available through membership at Catapult. Upon graduation, two students have continued full-time membership. Advisory board pilot - as part of a pilot program, we created an advisory board for the makerspace to connect founders with experienced business leaders. During the meetings, they brainstormed solutions in a variety of areas such as hiring, lease agreements, sales opportunities, and many more. Rapid prototyping class - in partnership with southeastern university, the first college class was hosted in the makerspace. Through the class, 18 students learned about the software and hardware of 3d-printing and were able to completely design and print something that solved a problem they experience in their daily life.

Since Catapult is home to a variety of businesses, we felt the need to hone in on the startups that we can best serve rather than trying to be everything to everyone. With an initial goal of discovering the members that are most aligned with Catapult's mission, this shift has allowed us to build more targeted resources. Mission-fit members have coachable mindsets and are building startups that are innovative and scalable. Mission-fit members are in the workspace, kitchen, and makerspace. They are in all stages of business with various backgrounds but find common ground over a desire to grow on a local, national, or global scale. In order to support mission-fit members in a variety of different industries, Catapult facilitates education through a one-on-one mentorship model. This program connects founders that are hungry to learn with industry experts that are willing to share advice. Experts in residence technical advisors are hired by Catapult to provide help in key business areas. They have a presence at Catapult, whether in-person or online, for several hours per week and are often available for follow-up meetings. Technical advisors are hired by Catapult to provide help in key business areas. They have a presence at Catapult, whether in-person or online, for several hours per week and are often available for follow-up meetings. Have niche expertise and can provide tangible, situation-specific advice to founders on a one-off basis. They volunteer up to two hours a month to meet with startup founders who are recommended by Catapult's staff. The list of technical advisors is constantly growing. Member numbers: total members - 279: workspace - 197; kitchen - 39; makerspace - 43. Incubator participants - 109. Launched businesses - 3. Launch: launch is a community-based effort lead, and funded, by local financial institutions to Catapult that is created to assist local entrepreneurs. Launch's goal is to help Lakeland entrepreneurs take their business concept to the next level. Launch will do this by providing grants to entrepreneurs who can successfully pitch their concepts to launch's team. Pitch sessions - are held 2 to 3 times per year at Catapult. Applications are available online at catapultlakeland.com. Advisory board members attend pitch sessions, give their input in a closed-door session following the pitches and the pitch judges will vote on grant awards. The public is invited to attend pitch sessions. It's like shark tank. But with happy people.