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What is Launchpanion?

Launchpanion is an AI mentor for startups, especially social enterprises. Think of it as your AI launch companion. It can be used by people wanting to build a charity or a normal business too.

Launchpanion was designed to help young and new entrepreneurs by making it easy to understand and start a successful business or social enterprise, especially those living in a rural or remote location where paid jobs might be hard to find.

What's a social enterprise?

Social enterprises (businesses which exist to 'make a profit for good') are going to become increasingly vital as the number of charitable/not-for-profit businesses increase, and compete for limited philanthropic or charitable funding. Businesses are also increasingly being asked to justify their 'social contract' or reason to exist. At the same time, the traditional pathways to a 'good life' are no longer the safety net they were, and the internet has allowed people to share information, make money and drive connections across the world.

Why is Launchpanion focussed on social enterprise?

Launchpanion is different from most AI tools because it incorporates Christina's decade of knowledge working with and alongside others using alternate and social enterprise business models. Too many entrepreneurship courses worldwide only teach the 'hockey stick' business model. This model extracts value from communities and funnels it to the top. We want to build businesses that are like fractals - they grow by spinning off related and new businesses, and spread the value across a community.

In general, the business models for social enterprises are less well-known, although more information is available than ever before. Indigenous business models are also more likely to be classed in the Western frameworks as a social enterprise, because they often have a focus on 'triple bottom line reporting'.

LP also works for not-for-profits and for-profit businesses, so it's fine if you just want to make some money for yourself and your family too.

Who is the team behind Launchpanion?

LP was founded by New Zealander and social entrepreneur Christina Curley, especially to support young, remote and rural entrepreneurs all around the world. Christina has worked in four countries so far and lived in five, with extensive experience in marketing, self-leadership training, community development and helping organisations solve tricky problems. LP is her fourth business after a decade spent working in her own social enterprises, and supporting others with theirs.

Christina started LP with a team of advisors to help her existing social enterprise clients, after noticing that the practical steps of starting a business can be very confusing for new entrepreneurs. She comes from a family of serial entrepreneurs who grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere.....