Catapult Lakeland Inc

CATAPULT LAKELAND, INC. A COMMUNITY-CENTERED ENTREPRENEUR CENTER LOCATED IN LAKELAND, FL. WE AIM TO FOSTER THE GROWTH OF STARTUPS IN THE LAKELAND, FL AND CENTRAL FLORIDA AREA AND MAINTAIN THEIR SUCCESS THROUGH AFFORDABLE MEMBERSHIP, THOUGHTFUL EDUCATION, AND FUNDING TO DRIVE LOCAL BUSINESS FORWARD. CATAPULT LAKELAND, INC. IS A PLACE WHERE ENTREPRENEURS CAN FLOURISH AND DEVELOP IDEAS THAT RESULT IN ESTABLISHING AND GROWING BUSINESSES IN THE LAKELAND, FLORIDA AREA THROUGH EDUCATION AND MENTORING OPPORTUNITIES. OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS, OUR STAFF HAS BEEN LASER-FOCUS ON BUILDING A STATE- OF-THE-ART FACILITY. LED BY CHRISTINA GRAHAM AND A WONDERFUL TEAM OF COLLABORATORS, THIS BUILDING ALLOWS US TO BETTER SERVE LAKELAND'S ENTREPRENEURS AND ACCOMPLISH OUR MISSION OF FOSTERING THE GROWTH OF STARTUPS IN LAKELAND BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE SPACE, THOUGHTFUL EDUCATION, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES. OUR MISSION IS TO INCREASE THE VIABILITY OF STARTUPS AND CATAPULT WAS CREATED TO HELP FACILITATE GROWTH FOR

MISSION-FIT MEMBERS THE FOLLOWING QUALITIES DETERMINE WHETHER A STARTUP'S GOALS ALIGN WITH THE MISSION OF CATAPULT: "BUSINESS IS UNIQUE "BUSINESS IS SCALABLE "FOUNDER IS FOCUSED ON HIRING LOCALLY "FOUNDER IS COACHABLE AND HAS A DESIRE TO GROW "FOUNDER HAS A DESIRE TO LAUNCH FROM CATAPULT INTO A SPACE OF THEIR OWN THE CATAPULT STAFF WILL BE MAXIMIZING NEW AND EXISTING PROGRAMMING TO PROVIDE THE SUPPORT NEEDED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE MAKING LAKELAND A MORE ENTREPRENEURIAL-MINDED COMMUNITY. THIS SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED THROUGH THE EXISTING CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS ACCELERATOR FOR FOOD-BASED BUSINESSES AND THE EXPERTS IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM. CONSUMER PACKAGED GOODS ACCELERATOR AMIDST THE PANDEMIC, CATAPULT HOSTED AN AMENDED VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM TO HELP ENTREPRENEURS TRANSITION SALES TO AN ONLINE FORMAT. THIS YEAR, THE FULL 9-WEEK VERSION OF THIS PROGRAM WAS OFFERED FOR THE FIRST TIME. PARTICIPANTS FROM SIX BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO LEARN ALL THE FACETS OF PACKING A PRODUCT AND WHAT IS NEEDED TO BRING IT TO A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT. SOME OF THE PROGRAM DELIVERABLES INCLUDE TARGET CUSTOMER PROFILES, FOOD SAFETY PLAN, WHOLESALE STRATEGIC PLAN, PRODUCT PACKAGING EDITS, POINT OF PURCHASE MATERIALS, AND MORE. EXPERTS IN RESIDENCE AFTER SPENDING 40 YEARS AT PUBLIX AS THE DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES, IN APRIL, TIM COX JOINED THE CATAPULT TEAM AS OUR FIRST EXPERT IN RESIDENCE TO MENTOR STARTUPS IN THE AREAS OF BRANDING, MARKETING, AND TEAM CULTURE. HE WORKS AT CATAPULT THREE DAYS A WEEK AND HAS MET WITH 81 ENTREPRENEURS AND MADE MORE THAN 30 MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS FOR MEMBERS. TIM HAS WORKED CLOSELY WITH FOUNDERS AS FOUR COMPANIES HAVE GONE THROUGH A COMPLETE RE- BRAND. SEEING THE SUCCESS FROM TIM'S MEETINGS, WE ARE CURRENTLY TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE FINANCIAL FIELD TO WORK WITH CATAPULT TO PROVIDE EXPERTISE WHEN IT COMES TO ACCOUNTING, BOOKKEEPING, TAXES, FINANCIAL STATEMENT ANALYSIS, COMPANY VALUATION, AND MORE. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE LAUNCHED IN THE NEW YEAR TO CONTINUE PROVIDING TANGIBLE INDIVIDUALIZED FEEDBACK TO MEMBERS. HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES AS A WAY TO PROMOTE CATAPULT'S KITCHEN ENTREPRENEURS, HOLIDAY GIFT BOXES WITH CURRENT AND ALUMNI MEMBER PRODUCTS WERE SOLD DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON. IN 2019, OVER 120 BASKETS WERE SOLD. THAT GREW TO 660 BOXES SOLD IN 2020. THIS YEAR THAT NUMBER CONTINUED TO CLIMB TO 800. LAKELAND ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS THE 2021 EVENT WAS CANCELED DUE TO COVID, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO BE BACK TOGETHER CELEBRATING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH DINNER, AWARDS, AND A KEYNOTE PRESENTATION FROM JEFF VINIK, A REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER IN TAMPA AND OWNER OF THE LIGHTNING. COVID-19 SMALL BUSINESS EMERGENCY FUND CATAPULT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAKELAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE GIVEWELL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, CREATED A 300,000+ FUND TO OFFER ONE-TIME GRANTS TO HELP STABILIZE LOCAL RESTAURANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES DURING THIS UNPRECEDENTED PERIOD. NINE BUSINESSES WERE FUNDED DURING THE INITIAL ROUND. ADDITIONAL FUNDS REMAIN IN THE ACCOUNT FOR FUTURE USE. LAUNCH CATAPULT HOSTED A PITCH NIGHT IN THE SPRING AND FALL OF 2021 WHERE 87,500 IN GRANT MONEY WAS AWARDED TO 9 BUSINESSES AND 1 STUDENT COMPANY. SIX LOCAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS CONTINUE TO FUND THIS PROGRAM WITH AN ADDITIONAL 43,500 BEING DONATED IN 2021. DUE TO THE DEAL FLOW THAT IS BEING GENERATED FOR THIS PROGRAM, CATAPULT STAFF ARE CURRENTLY, FUNDRAISING FOR THIS PROGRAM BY INVITING EVERY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN LAKELAND TO JOIN.