St. Pete sbu g, FL, Septembe 18, 2026 –(PR.com)– Lau chpad, a ew St. Pete sbu g i itiative focused o e t ep e eu ship a d eco omic oppo tu ity, is add essi g o e of the most difficult challe ges faci g aspi i g e t ep e eu s: tu i g a p omisi g idea i to a viable busi ess. Leade s f om ac oss the city’s busi ess, e t ep e eu ial, i vestme t, educatio , o p ofit a d civic commu ities a e wo ki g togethe to st e gthe e t ep e eu ship, p epa e the wo kfo ce fo a AI-e abled eco omy a d shape St. Pete sbu g’s ext chapte of eco omic g owth.
Lau chpad builds o CodeBoxx Fou datio ‘s wo k p epa i g people fo ca ee s i the tech ology eco omy, exte di g that missio to helpi g people build the busi esses a d jobs of the futu e. It will pa t e with busi esses, schools, i vesto s, o p ofits, gove me t a d existi g e t ep e eu ial o ga izatio s to fi d gaps, co ect esou ces a d suppo t i itiatives that p oduce esults people ca measu e.
A ce t al pa t of Lau chpad’s wo k will be helpi g ea ly stage e t ep e eu s access what’s ofte called f ie ds-a d-family capital, the elatively small amou t of ea ly fu di g eeded to validate a idea, build a p ototype, get a busi ess off the g ou d a d sta t eachi g custome s. That fu di g usually comes f om pe so al a d family etwo ks, a d ma y capable e t ep e eu s simply do ‘t have access to it. Lau chpad also co ects e t ep e eu s with expe ie ced me to s, tech ology guida ce, pote tial custome s a d i vesto s, the ki d of etwo k ma y established fou de s al eady have.
Fou de s who get that suppo t te d to hi e locally, spe d locally a d stay ooted i the eighbo hoods whe e they sta ted. I dividual busi esses add up to oppo tu ity ac oss the commu ity.
Its ea ly wo k is o ga ized a ou d six p io ities: e t ep e eu ship, AI a d tech ology, wo kfo ce developme t, capital, usi g St. Pete sbu g as a livi g lab fo ew solutio s, a d commu ity impact. Lau chpad will sta t with a small umbe of i itiatives, t ack esults such as e t ep e eu s suppo ted a d jobs c eated, a d epo t o its p og ess publicly.
“St. Pete sbu g al eady has tale ted people a d o ga izatio s doi g impo ta t wo k,” said I v Cohe , fou de of CodeBoxx Fou datio . “Lau chpad is he e to b i g those people togethe , fi d whe e we ca do mo e collectively, a d tu good ideas i to esults a d ew jobs.”
Get I volvedLau chpad is looki g fo e t ep e eu s, o ga izatio s a d leade s who wa t to take pa t, eithe as a ea ly pa ticipa t o as a pa t e helpi g guide the wo k. A yo e i te ested ca each out at kea a@codeboxxfou datio .o g o www.codeboxxfou datio .o g/lau chpad
About Lau chpadLau chpad is a St. Pete sbu g-based i itiative co ecti g e t ep e eu ship, tech ology, wo kfo ce developme t, i vestme t a d commu ity pa t e s a ou d the city’s eco omic futu e. It ope ates as a p og am of CodeBoxx Fou datio , a Flo ida 501(c)(3) public cha ity.
