What Venturelab does

VentureLab (legal entity: ESTEAM Foundation Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2013 that delivers experiential entrepreneurship education to K-12 youth. Its core offering is a proprietary curriculum framework built around 11-12 entrepreneurial mindsets (curiosity, growth mindset, courage, persistence, optimism, resourcefulness, empathy, adaptability, etc.) and 9 skills (creativity, teamwork, public speaking, idea generation, prototyping, pitching, etc.), packaged into the ESTEAM (Entrepreneurship + STEAM) model. The product portfolio spans structured curricula (Topics in Entrepreneurship, Idea to Pitch, Career Exploration, Entrepreneurship Agriculture, ESTEAM Design Challenge Kit), interactive web-based games (Pitch Game, Mindset Matching Game, Wacky Inventions Game, Body Language Game), a Business Builder digital tool, downloadable workbooks and posters (including a bilingual Youth & Caregiver Workbook), and online courses hosted on Teachable for both youth and educators, supplemented by a Shopify storefront for physical curriculum kits segmented by grade band.

The organization operates from a headquarters in Austin, Texas, with regional Hubs in San Antonio and Saint Louis, and claims reach into 900,000+ students across 155+ countries and all 50 U.S. states. Its go-to-market is a hybrid community-, event-, and channel-partner-led motion: curriculum is distributed free to programs that do not charge participants and licensed annually to tuition-charging programs; educators are trained through professional development programs; and awareness is driven by the annual Ready, Set, Startup! gala, conference presence (e.g., MASN 2026), and a content marketing footprint across blog, email, and social channels. Revenue mechanics are characteristic of a nonprofit: charitable donations and corporate sponsorships dominate (Brown Advisory as presenting gala sponsor; donors including Atlassian, Boeing Employees Community Fund, HEB Helping Here, 80/20 Foundation, Ujeni Foundation, Stand Together Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation), supplemented by curriculum licensing fees, event sponsorships, and modest e-commerce sales. Strategic partnerships with NFTE, Afterschool Alliance, and Young Entrepreneur Institute position VentureLab within a coalition that co-administers the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a $1 million K-12 pitch competition. The organization is led by Founder and CEO Dr. Cristal Glangchai, with a board that includes Pat Condon, Dirk Elmendorf, Emily Bellomy, Marissa Brown, and Graham Weston.

Name

Venturelab

Legal name

ESTEAM Foundation Inc. dba VentureLab

Website

https://venturelab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VentureLab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers experiential K-12 entrepreneurship education through a proprietary ESTEAM curriculum, educator training, online courses, and interactive games, reaching 900,000+ students across 155+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business (EDAMAHAI), Career Exploration & Industry Exposure (Guest Speakers, Company Visits) (EDAMAHAJ)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship education
• K-12 curriculum programs
• Educator professional development
• ESTEAM learning kits
• Online entrepreneurship courses

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, VentureLab relies heavily on charitable donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The annual Ready, Set, Startup! gala raised over $215,000 in 2025.
2. Curriculum Licensing: VentureLab curriculum is free for programs that do not charge for participation. Programs that charge fees must pay a licensing fee for curriculum use. License term is one year.
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors fund events like the Ready, Set, Startup! gala. Sponsors include Brown Advisory (presenting sponsor), Wild Basin, West Chelsea Contemporary, Atlassian, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Morrison Foerster, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VentureLab provides hands-on, experiential K-12 entrepreneurship education through a portfolio of structured curriculum programs (Topics in Entrepreneurship, Idea to Pitch, Career Exploration, Entrepreneurship Agriculture, ESTEAM Design Challenge Kit), online courses, educator professional development, and digital learning games and tools. Curriculum is offered free to non-charging programs and via annual licensing to programs that charge tuition, with additional resources for parents and caregivers.

Product overview

VentureLab is an entrepreneurship education non-profit organization that provides a comprehensive suite of curriculum programs, educator training, and learning resources designed to teach entrepreneurial thinking to youth K-12. The core offerings include Topics in Entrepreneurship curriculum, Idea to Pitch, Career Exploration, Entrepreneurship Agriculture, and ESTEAM Design Challenge Kit programs. Digital learning is delivered through Online Courses for youth and adults, while educators receive Professional Development & Training. The product portfolio also includes educational games (Pitch Game, Wacky Inventions Game, Body Language Game, Mindset Matching Game, Mindset Card Picker), supplementary resources (Youth & Caregiver Workbook, Mindset Scavenger Hunt, Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Skills Poster), and the Business Builder digital tool. The company also hosts an annual Ready, Set, Startup! gala event for community engagement and fundraising. The organization focuses on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset centered around 11 key mindsets (curiosity, growth mindset, courage, persistence, opportunity seeking, problem solving, embracing failure, optimism, resourcefulness, empathy, adaptability) and 9 skills (creativity, teamwork, public speaking, idea generation, opportunity analysis, market research, design thinking, prototyping, business model, pitching).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Topics in Entrepreneurship

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 900,000+ students across 155+ countries and all 50 US states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead administrator for the Mott Million Dollar Challenge along with five other partner organizations. NFTE brings entrepreneurship education expertise and network of programs.
• Afterschool AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for youth entrepreneurship competitions, helping extend reach into the afterschool program network.
• Young Entrepreneur InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, bringing youth entrepreneurship education resources and programming.
• Missouri Afterschool NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVentureLab led workshops at the 2026 MASN Afterschool Leadership Conference in Kansas City, providing hands-on entrepreneurship training for OST leaders.
• Kauffman FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference center host for the Missouri Afterschool Network Leadership Conference where VentureLab conducted workshops.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE is a direct peer in youth entrepreneurship education, serving K-12 students with curriculum, teacher training, and pitch competitions. NFTE is the lead administrator of the Mott Million Dollar Challenge alongside VentureLab, making it the closest comparable organization in mission, audience, and program design.
• Young Entrepreneur Institute: Young Entrepreneur Institute is a direct peer and active Mott Challenge partner, providing youth entrepreneurship education resources, competitions, and programming. Its mission, target audience (K-12), and competition-based learning model closely mirror VentureLab's approach.
• DECA: DECA is a long-standing student organization focused on preparing high school and college students for careers in business, marketing, finance, and entrepreneurship. It is comparable through shared emphasis on pitching, business concept development, and competition-based learning for high schoolers.
• BizWorld Foundation: BizWorld Foundation provides entrepreneurship education curriculum and programs for elementary and middle school students through schools and after-school providers. It targets the same K-12 audience as VentureLab with project-based learning and student-run businesses.

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is the dominant incumbent in K-12 entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy education, serving millions of students annually through schools and volunteers. It overlaps directly with VentureLab's curriculum and after-school offerings but operates at far greater scale with a much broader program portfolio.
• 4-H: 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the U.S., delivering hands-on programs in STEM, agriculture, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship through schools, clubs, and after-school networks. It competes indirectly for the same educator and after-school partner mindshare as VentureLab.
• EverFi: EverFi delivers digital K-12 curriculum in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, STEM, and career readiness to schools and districts. It shares VentureLab's K-12 supplementary curriculum model and freemium/sponsored licensing approach but operates at significantly larger scale with a more technology-driven delivery model.

Emerging players

• LaunchX: LaunchX runs entrepreneurship programs and summer experiences for high school students focused on real startup creation. It overlaps with VentureLab in target audience (teens) and curriculum area but skews toward premium, intensive summer programs rather than broad school-based curriculum licensing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ourventurelab
• YouTubeyoutube.com/TheVentureLab
• Facebookfacebook.com/ourventurelab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ourventurelab
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourventurelab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Venturelab