The article profiles Laurie Stach ’06, who, recognizing a shared “crazy ambition” among youth during her time at MIT, founded LaunchX in 2012. LaunchX is a for-profit entrepreneurship program designed to equip high school students with practical skills through an intensive four-week summer program. Stach criticizes traditional education for failing to prepare young people, noting that while adults often acknowledge the potential of mathematically and scientifically gifted youth, they are not given the tools to act on their ambitions immediately.
LaunchX’s program involves students forming teams to identify problems, develop actual products or services, and bring these to market, often achieving preorders or revenue within the program’s duration. Initially launched on MIT’s campus with 30 students in 2013, the program has since expanded significantly, now serving approximately 500 students annually through both in-person and online formats. Stach’s background includes a mechanical engineering degree from MIT and an MBA from Harvard Business School, which she completed in 2011. Read more at www.technologyreview.com/alumni-profiles