LaunchPad Community Update: Expansion, Impact and Gratitude

Thanks to your involvement and support, LaunchPad is off to a strong start in 2026!

As we expand beyond California and begin to reach under-resourced entrepreneurs nationwide, we’re encouraged by the momentum we’re building together. With Q1 wrapped up, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our progress and share a few key highlights.

Program Overview

LaunchPad is a 4-month, 1:1 mentorship program for under-resourced entrepreneurs. Each participant is paired with a professional bookkeeper and supported in building financial confidence through hands-on mentoring to manage their books in accounting software.

Before being matched, mentees complete a Program Readiness Checklist to ensure they are prepared to fully engage in the program.

Upon successful completion of the 4 month mentorship program:

• Mentees receive a $500 grant from the Makahakama Foundation 
• Mentors receive a $1,000 stipend for their time and expertise

Q1 Highlights

• 72 applications received from entrepreneurs across 10 states in the past 3 months.

• 6 new Referral Partners added in 2026, bringing our total active partner base to 10.

• Each 501(c)3 Referral Partner is now eligible for a $250 grant per referred entrepreneur upon successful program completion.

• The mentor bench increased by 45% to 27 mentors with a capacity to serve 54 entrepreneurs at a time. Outreach to bookkeeping communities with mentorship-focused messaging is resonating.

Program Impact

• LaunchPad’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) for mentees and mentors is 86, indicating a strong likelihood to recommend the program to friends and colleagues
• By the end of the program:
  • 82% of mentees report feeling significantly more confident managing their books
  • 9% report feeling somewhat more confident

We’re excited to spotlight Podshare founder Elvina Beck’s story, who recently completed her mentorship with her mentor, Rebecca Berneck.

Over 4 months, Elvina worked closely with Rebecca  to “transform 13 years of bookkeeping chaos into financial clarity.”  Entrepreneurs like Elvina demonstrate what’s possible when consistent, hands-on financial support meets commitment and follow-through.

How You Can Help 

As we look ahead, we’re focused on growing our ecosystem  to meet our 2026 goal of increasing mentor-mentee matches by 6X  vs 2025.

We are actively seeking:

• Entrepreneurs ready to build financial confidence
• Bookkeepers interested in mentoring
• Referral partners (CDFIs, Technical Assistance Centers, Community Partners) who can refer qualified participants

If you know someone who may be a good fit, please ask them to learn more on our website and apply:

• Entrepreneur application
• Mentor application
• 501(c)3 Partner application

We also welcome dialogue with organizations that are interested in becoming corporate sponsors.

And lastly…please help us spread the word about our upcoming Money In Money Out Workshop on April 8th and June 10th. It’s a great opportunity for entrepreneurs to learn about how money flows through their business, and get all their questions answered about the LaunchPad mentorship and grant opportunity.

🙏 Thank You for Being Part of Our Community

We’re grateful to our mentors, partners, advisors and allies for making this work possible. 

When entrepreneurs understand their numbers, they make bolder decisions, weather setbacks, and build businesses that last. Financial confidence isn’t just a skill — it’s the foundation every strong business is built on. Together, we’re laying that foundation one mentor session at a time.

Warmly,
The LaunchPad Team