USD 100 to enter ยท Compete for a USD 1,000 prize pool|Applications close February 15, 2027
LaunchPad is taught and mentored by Harvard student mentors who have built and shipped real projects.
Current Harvard students who mentor Onward cohorts across sessions, feedback and pitch coaching.
HARVARD STUDENT MENTOR
Sophomore at Harvard College studying Economics and Statistics. From San Francisco, she loves traveling, trying out different foods, and making new friends!
First-year at Harvard College, planning to concentrate in East Asian Studies and Government with a Secondary in Education. Former State President of the California Association of Student Councils, uplifting 3500+ students yearly. Currently involved with Harvard Consulting in Business and the Environment and the Asian Leadership Initiative.
Junior at Harvard studying Integrative Biology and Computer Science. Currently studying abroad at Oxford in the UK. Volunteers for legal advocacy groups, does research for rare autoimmune disorders, and loves to hike around the northeast.
Junior at Harvard concentrating in Government and Statistics, with a secondary in Astrophysics. Serves as a project manager on the Ethics Committee of Harvard HCS Tech for Social Good and is the current Deputy Director of Foreign Summits for the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative.
Graduate of Harvard College, where she studied Applied Mathematics, Government, and Education. Focused on educational equity through leadership in Harvard Model Congress and worked in youth homelessness at the Y2Y Shelter. Currently works at Breaktime as a Richardson Fellow.
Our mentors are active participants in each student's journey - not just names on a page. They teach live sessions, give structured feedback, and coach students toward a polished pitch.
Every cohort is led by Harvard student mentors who have built products, run ventures, and worked with AI tools.
Students work in small groups so every student gets direct feedback on their problem, prototype, and pitch.
Optional weekly office hours give students a place to unblock technical problems and stress-test their ideas.
Mentors evaluate Week 5 review submissions with a shared rubric, so every student receives structured written feedback.
Live session teaching every Saturday
Written rubric feedback at Week 6 and Week 7
Group mentorship in the Discover and Build phases
Pitch coaching ahead of semifinals
Mentor assignments are confirmed ahead of the February 27, 2027 start date. Registered families receive their cohort and mentor details by email before Week 1.