This morning, Innovate Charlotte and LaunchCLT announced that they are formally joining forces.
As of October 1st, the two entities will become a single, combined organization. That organization will retain the Innovate Charlotte name and branding, with LaunchCLT “continuing on as the name of [the] flagship mentor program.”
Juan Garzón will continue in his role as the longtime Executive Director, while Erica Madden, who co-founded LaunchCLT, will, per release, “continue to oversee the Mentor Program and will work alongside Garzón in setting the strategic direction of the combined organization.”
How the partnership came about
Having noted in the release that the two entities have worked together for years, Garzón expanded on the depth of the existing partnership while speaking with GrepBeat.
“The groundwork goes back to 2022,” he explained, noting that at this point they combined Innovate Charlotte’s MIT VMS mentor program with LaunchLKN’s mentoring program. LaunchLKN then became LaunchCLT and took on the cohort program and mentor network known as CO.STARTERS.
“Formal conversations about becoming one organization started earlier this year,” he added,” and by late spring both brands were working through the details.”
Asked if a partnership that, on paper, looks quite natural and seamless, faced any hurdles, Garzón noted that there were plenty, but that none rose to the level of being deal-breakers.
“The biggest question was identity,” he said. “LaunchCLT has a decade of history and a mentor community that’s deeply loyal to it, and nobody wanted that to disappear inside a bigger organization. That’s why the Mentor Program keeps the LaunchCLT name and a refreshed LaunchCLT mark is on the way.”
Beyond that core identity question, he pointed to the nuts and bolts as the main hurdles: moving licenses, updating grant agreements, and even “combining systems down t email accounts.” But at the end, the tilt was straightforward in favor of partnership.
“The honest reason not to do it would have been ‘it’s a lot of work,’” Garzón said. “The reason to do it was that founders shouldn’t have to figure out which of two organizations does what.”
The idea behind alliance
Expanding in a sense on that last point—about founders not having to figure out which of two organizations does what—Garzón also spoke to the importance of partnerships like this one as they continue to emerge across the statewide ecosystem.
“[The question of collaboration versus competition] is an important one for regional ecosystems right now,” he said. “Competition among startup support organizations rarely helps founders. We end up competing for the same sponsors, the same grant dollars, and the same founders’ calendars. Founders pay the price by having to navigate a maze.”
That said, he added that specialization matters as well, noting that Charlotte benefits from a number of organizations continuing to do what they do best.
“The model we believe in is clear roles and deep connections: Be excellent at your piece and make the handoffs between organizations seamless.”
That model, he argued, is all the more important with AI making it easier to start a company. In this light, he said, “the connective tissue of an ecosystem matters more, not less.”
What the merger means for founders and mentors
As the release makes clear, the programs that founders and mentors have relied upon to date from both organizations will continue to be available through the combined entity. Asked to describe what a successful founder journey through the combined organization’s programming might look like, Garzón outlined a four-phase process (while noting that, of course, each journey depends on where a founder starts).
During the “idea stage,” a founder might gain inspiration and connections by attending a PitchBreakfast event. They might then go to a Founders & Funders event, sign up for Customer Discovery Labs, and perhaps a Founder Jam. As Garzón put it, “You find out whether the problem is real before you build.”
The “early building” phase is when a founder might join a CO.STARTERS cohort to learn relevant business fundamentals and develop a peer group.
Pursuing validation and traction will mean enrolling in the LaunchCLT Mentor Program, whereby a founder is matched with a team of three-to-five volunteer mentors for ongoing and confidential guidance. (Notably, this is free and mentors take no equity.) A founder at this stage might also see value in a Founder Jam event.
Finally, at the stage of intentionally getting in front of capital, a founder might pursue pitch practice through PitchBreakfast sessions, more curated Founders & Funders events, and ultimately the Seed the South Capital Summit, which is designed in part to connect prepared founders with investors from across the Southeast.
Every journey will be different. But this general outline illustrates how a founder might move from idea to investment using the combined programming and resources of the newly unified organization.
As for mentors, Garzón noted that those interested would still begin by joining the LaunchCLT Mentor Program. From there, however, they will now have smooth paths toward facilitating a Customer Discovery Lab or Founder Jam session, coaching CO.STARTERS participants, or supporting founders through PitchBreakfast or Seed the South.
“A successful mentor journey means finding the places where your experience helps the most, and staying connected to founders as they grow,” Garzón said.
What’s next
While it is possible that new programs or initiatives will be introduced in time, the next phase ahead will be all about firming up this unification, reviewing programs, and ensuring a seamless transition toward combined program support for founders and mentors.
Garzón also made clear that the focus will remain very much on the Charlotte area. While the newly enhanced Innovate Charlotte will continue to offer support to entrepreneurial support organizations in nearby areas, there is an understanding that those organizations are best positioned to offer initial assistnace.
“They know their founders best, and our role is to connect those founders to the relationships and resources across the broader region,” Garzón said.
As the Innovate Charlotte and LaunchCLT teams look ahead to a new chapter, they’re extending gratitude to the mentors, founders, sponsors, and volunteers from each of their respective communities. They’re also noting for the immediate future that despite the transition, applications for the November Mentor Porgram cohort are open and will remain so through October 20th; founders with some traction to show are encouraged to apply, and mentorship opportunities are open to experienced operators or investors.
