Authored By Chloé Morrison

LAUNCH is celebrating seven years of supporting Chattanooga entrepreneurs with a party that's open to the public and serves as a fundraiser for the nonprofit. "The LAUNCH party is a fundraiser for our organization, but more than that, it’s a celebration of the incredible work that is happening in our city because of the entrepreneurs we serve and their businesses that are literally shaping our community and what the future of Chattanooga will look like," Executive Director Hal Bowling said via email. LAUNCH works to offer business training, support, and affordable resources to entrepreneurs who are underrepresented in the city through business entrepreneurship programs for both adults and high school students. About the event It's happening Sept. 6 starting at 5:30 p.m. at Stratton Hall, 3146 Broad St. Individual tickets, which cost $50 are available and includes a cocktail hour, dinner and LAUNCH after-party. Entire tables are also available. Businessman and assistant pastor at Mount Canaan Baptist Church Ternae Jordan Jr. will speak at the event. Jordan, who has founded two businesses, also has a compelling story about a near-death experience after being shot in the head as a teenager. The after-party includes music from local band, The Malemen. Tickets, along with more information, are available online. The event is a good time to learn more about the organization and how it serves Chattanooga, as well as an opportunity to network with an array of entrepreneurs. What's new with LAUNCH? This fall is the first time that LAUNCH is implementing its Youth Entrepreneurship Program for high school students twice in one year. The organization already completed a spring semester course and is gearing up for a fall session to introduce more high school students to entrepreneurship. Check out a student spotlight online. Nooga.com has also covered young entrepreneurs, such as Derelle Roshell, who started with LAUNCH and have continued to work in the business world. Also new this year is LAUNCH's influence on other regions. Leaders in other cities and organizations have started partnering with LAUNCH to support entrepreneurs in their communities. The nonprofit, which has received both local and national recognition for its work, has helped groups in nine other cities start similar initiatives. And there's still work to do, Bowling said. "There are still a lot of barriers that stand in the way of many of the entrepreneurs we serve and we’re working to help them overcome those," he said. Those barriers include financial stability, credit standing and lack of business connections, he also said. By the numbers

Entrepreneurs trained: 381
Businesses started or strengthened: 231 (74 percent minority-owned, 65 percent female-owned)
Jobs created: 285
Business survival rate: 81 percent
High School students equipped: 572
Public schools served: 8

Students who participate in the LAUNCH high school program have a:

29 percent higher GPA
24 percent higher graduation rate
77 percent increase between pre and post-test in students likely to pursue business or entrepreneurship in the future

Source: LAUNCH