Launch Leadership

What Launch Leadership does

Launch Leadership is a nonprofit youth leadership development organization headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, that designs and delivers experiential leadership programs for students in grades 6 through 12. Founded in 1961 by Dr. John Lux as the Nebraska Leadership Workshop and established as an independent 501(c)(3) in 2013, the organization operates a portfolio of programs built around a seven-skill-track curriculum under the motto 'Never a lecture, always a lesson.' Its flagship offering is the five-day Summer Leadership Workshop held at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, with three age-segmented tracks (JAM for grades 6–8, SLW for grades 9–12, and ALW for returning seniors), supplemented by RYLA Powered by Launch (a free 48-hour Rotary-sponsored overnight retreat), four-themed One Day Workshops, Leadership Retreats, Ready for Launch year-round programming, and downloadable Student Resources.

The underlying delivery model is a small-group 'co-op' structure in which two volunteer staffers facilitate each group of students, supported by a tech stack comprising a Squarespace-hosted website, the Enrollsy online registration system, Neon CRM for donation management, a photo gallery platform, and an app-based student tracking system used for supervision during workshops. The organization is powered by 200+ active volunteer staffers (college students, educators, and professionals, many of whom are alumni delegates) plus only two paid staff members, making the volunteer pipeline its primary operating asset and a key risk if engagement wanes.

Revenue is generated through student workshop registration fees ($575 per student against an actual hosting cost of ~$800), workshop merchandise bundle add-ons ($50), One Day Workshop professional services for schools and groups, and a diversified donation stream that includes the RoundUp spare-change platform and need-based scholarships. GTM is event-driven (annual registration windows) combined with community-led referrals via alumni, Rotary clubs, and school partnerships. The customer base comprises individual student delegates and their families in the Midwest (primarily Nebraska, with Iowa exposure through RYLA), plus educational institutions booking One Day Workshops.

Name

Launch Leadership

Legal name

Launch Leadership, Inc.

Website

https://launchleadership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Launch Leadership is a Nebraska-based nonprofit that delivers experiential leadership development programs—most notably the five-day Summer Leadership Workshop at Doane University—for middle and high school students (grades 6–12), supplemented by RYLA retreats, One Day Workshops, and year-round services, operated by two paid staff and 200+ volunteer staffers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Leadership Development Programs

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits (BPAGADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAD)

Keywords

• Youth leadership development
• Experiential learning programs
• Student workshop services
• Leadership training retreats
• Nonprofit education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Workshop Registration Fees: Primary revenue from student workshop registrations. Workshop costs $575 per student, though actual cost to host is nearly $800 per student, subsidized by donations and fundraising.
2. Donations and Fundraising: One-time and recurring donations from supporters. RoundUp program converts spare change from everyday purchases into donations. Year-round fundraising efforts to subsidize workshop costs and provide scholarships.
3. Workshop Bundle Add-ons: Optional merchandise bundles available during registration including blankets, pins, and card kits for $50.
4. One Day Workshop Services: Customized leadership development workshops for schools, teams, and clubs available in full-day or half-day formats. Contact services team for pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Launch Leadership is a nonprofit that runs experiential youth leadership development programs for students entering grades 6–12, anchored by a multi-day residential Summer Leadership Workshop at Doane University and complemented by year-round services including RYLA (a Rotary-sponsored overnight retreat), customizable One Day Workshops (Communication, Team Building, Community Service, Mindfulness & Motivation themes), Leadership Retreats, and the Ready for Launch program. Programs are delivered through a small-group "co-op" facilitation model by 200+ active Volunteer Staffers, with revenue from per-delegate registration fees, donations, and institutional bookings.

Product overview

Launch Leadership is a nonprofit youth leadership development organization offering a portfolio of experiential learning programs. The core offering is the Summer Leadership Workshop, a five-day residential program at Doane University with three delegation tracks: JAM (grades 6-8), SLW (grades 9-12), and ALW (advanced track for returning seniors). Complementing the summer program are year-round services including RYLA (a free 48-hour overnight Rotary-sponsored retreat), One Day Workshops (four themed customizable sessions: Communication, Team Building, Community Service, and Mindfulness & Motivation), Leadership Retreats, and Ready for Launch. Additional offerings include Student Resources (downloadable inspirational materials) and need-based scholarships covering full or partial program costs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Leadership Workshop Five-day, four-night residential experiential leadership development program hosted at Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, for students entering grades 6–12. Organized around a small-group "co-op" facilitation model and seven skill tracks (Self Management, Organizational Leadership, Group Dynamics, Communication, Interpersonal Relations, Values Awareness, Decision Making) with three registration tracks: JAM (grades 6–8), SLW (grades 9–12), and ALW (advanced track for returning seniors). US$575 per delegate with need-based scholarships available.
• RYLA Powered by Launch Leadership A 48-hour overnight Rotary Youth Leadership Awards retreat held at Camp Calvin Crest in Fremont, Nebraska, blending Rotary's service mission with Launch Leadership's experiential curriculum. Delivered at no cost to selected students, with scholarships funded by Rotary of Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa.
• One Day Workshops Customizable four-hour to full-day leadership development workshops for classes, teams, or clubs, available in four themed curricula: Communication, Team Building, Community Service, and Mindfulness & Motivation. Delivered at client locations by Launch Staff with pricing obtained by contacting the Services team at [email protected] or 402-437-0011.
• Leadership Retreats Year-round leadership development services providing experiential curriculum for student groups beyond the summer workshop, extending Launch programming into school-year engagements.
• Ready for Launch Year-round leadership development programming featuring its own experiential curriculum designed to extend leadership training for participating students beyond the summer.
• Workshop Bundle Merchandise Add-on Optional merchandise add-on bundle available during registration, including a red fleece LAUNCH blanket, an exclusive 2026 theme pin, and a magic card kit, sold as a US$50 bundle.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rotary of Eastern Nebraska and Southwest IowacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRotary clubs have joined forces with Launch Leadership to create RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) experience. Rotary provides scholarship funding for students to attend at no cost. Launch provides curriculum and facilitation for the 48-hour overnight leadership development event held at Camp Calvin Crest.
• Doane UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoane University in Crete, Nebraska hosts the Summer Leadership Workshop on its campus. Launch takes over the entire campus during workshop week. Relationship provides facilities for experiential leadership programming.
• RoundUpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRoundUp platform allows donors to round up everyday purchases to support Launch Leadership. Spare change from purchases supports student scholarships and supplies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• 4-H: National youth development organization with leadership, civic engagement, and experiential learning programs for K-12 students; comparable in mission and program structure but with a far broader agricultural and community-club footprint.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Large national nonprofit delivering year-round youth development programming including leadership curricula to school-age youth; comparable in mission and target age band but operates as a multi-site, federally-supported incumbent rather than a single-region experiential program.

Direct peers

• Envision Experience: Operates career and leadership summer programs for high schoolers hosted on college campuses, including leadership and youth leadership tracks; directly comparable in experiential, residential, university-hosted delivery to Launch's summer workshop.
• National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC): Runs residential summer leadership programs for middle and high school students on university campuses with curriculum-based skill tracks; comparable to Launch's Doane University-based Summer Leadership Workshop in delivery model and target audience.
• Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY): National nonprofit that runs multi-day youth leadership seminars for high school students using an experiential small-group model; the most direct U.S. peer to Launch's flagship Summer Leadership Workshop, but operating at significantly greater national scale.
• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): Rotary International's global 48-hour youth leadership program; Launch is itself a RYLA delivery partner in Nebraska/Iowa, and RYLA's other regional implementations are direct functional peers to Launch's RYLA Powered by Launch product.

Regional players

• DECA: Student organization focused on leadership and career development for high school students, with conferences and curricula; comparable in audience (grades 9-12) and leadership-skill focus, though more career/CTE-oriented than Launch's general leadership development.
• SkillsUSA: National nonprofit serving middle school, high school, and college students in career and leadership development with chapter-based programming and leadership conferences; overlaps in audience and skill-track curriculum model.

Emerging players

• AIESEC: Global youth-led organization focused on leadership development through cross-cultural experiences and projects; overlaps with Launch's mission of building youth leadership capability but operates in a college-age band and on an international scale.
• Lead For America: Nonprofit that identifies and trains young leaders to serve in local communities; comparable in mission to develop young leaders who create community change, though focuses on post-college fellows rather than middle and high school students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Launch Leadership