Multi-Platform Competitions & Corporations
Blackstone LaunchPad | StartupTree
With StartupTree, the success of initiatives are backed by data that facilitates a compelling story for external stakeholders. As the operational partner of the Blackstone LaunchPad Startup Ideas competition, StartupTree provided the reporting infrastructure, best practices, and innovative technology solution to successfully roll out a new initiative in record time across the ecosystem of 43 campuses.
StartupTree was selected after an extensive due diligence process as an all-in-one solution and a team with the expertise to deliver.
The Challenge
Blackstone LaunchPad needed a competition to run flawlessly across 43 campuses across their ecosystem. The projected reach goal was between 200-250 applicants.
The Solution
A seamless application rollout, the power to make data-led operational decisions, and community-wide support and guidance.
The Results
Blackstone LaunchPad hit 500% of their target engagement metric with 1142 participants engaged across 43 campuses, with cleaned data ready for reporting and satisfied external stakeholders.
ABOUT BLACKSTONE LAUNCHPAD
The Blackstone Charitable Foundation has led Blackstone’s philanthropic initiatives since 2007. Within its wide-reaching influence, Blackstone LaunchPad helps college students learn entrepreneurial skills to build thriving companies and careers. Recently, they have increased their commitment to schools that have a majority diverse student population or engage with underrepresented communities.
ABOUT STARTUPTREE
StartupTree is the leading platform used by top universities and organizations to unlock the potential of ecosystems through data and development of more robust networks.
Contact us: hello@startuptree.co
The Challenge
Host a multi-campus, multi-platform competition across a diverse ecosystem
Blackstone LaunchPad needed a competition to run flawlessly across 43 campuses across their ecosystem.
The challenge was also to broaden the applicant pool beyond those that typically engage with entrepreneurship competition, including at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.
The projected reach goal was between 200-250 applicants.
The Solution
How Blackstone LaunchPad was able to hit 500% of their target engagement metric with 1142 participants engaged across 43 campuses in their ecosystem
Reporting Infrastructure
Data-Powered Operational Decisions
While competition was running, Blackstone LaunchPad had access to weekly updates on applicant status (views, in progress, and applied) and demographic breakdown per school. These updates helped spot promotional and engagement blind spots and take action on who needed to be flagged or encouraged to get more applicants.
An Ecosystem-Driven Approach
Community-First Best Practice Webinars
During the competition, members of the larger ecosystem were invited to a panel on "Diversifying Student Pipelines". The ecosystem-driven approach established through the StartupTree network provided actionable and pragmatic strategies to maximize synergies.
Technology Solution
Seamless Application Rollout
StartupTree provided an easy to roll out competition template, all programs successfully had an application within a week of the details being confirmed. Critical features streamlined the workflow and directly impacted engagement from custom reminders, an in-progress view, and announcements.
- Custom application with auto-save
- Announcement feature with direct communication to students, mentors, judges
- Centralized data across all 43 campuses
- In-progress application reminders right in the platform
The Results
5x Projected Applicants, Cleaned Data Ready for Reporting, Demonstrated Real Impact to Stakeholders
The granularity of the data tracked allows Blackstone LaunchPad's leadership team to dig deeper into what the numbers mean and how this competition stacks up to hitting their engagement goals.
Blackstone LaunchPad had adopted similar platforms in the past, but StartupTree was the one to truly deliver on its promise according to the Blackstone team.
What’s Next for StartupTree and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation?
Leveraging Real-Time Data to Drive Ecosystem Operations
The next stages of the partnership will involve leveraging real-time data set up in the Semi-Annual Report and a Custom Analytics Hub.
Across the expanding number of locations, tracking engagement throughout the ecosystem and participant breakdown by demographics will be more important than ever.
Learn more about Custom Analytics Hub
Let's talk about your needs
Are you looking for an ecosystem management solution like Blackstone?
With 140+ platforms launched around the world, StartupTree is the solution to helping you gain deeper insights into your organization's programs and operate as one.
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