2026 Ready, Set, Startup!
Help us bring VentureLab to more under-resourced communities and change the face of entrepreneurship!
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Engineering Confidence: Raising Girls to Build Companies
The Power of a Parent’s Belief: Raising the Next Generation of Founders At this year’s SXSW EDU, VentureLab founder Dr. Cristal Glangchai sat down with Audrey McLoghlin, founder of the apparel brand Frank & Eileen, for a fireside chat on a critical mission: raising girls who see themselves not as future employees, but as future…
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Empowering OST Leaders with the Missouri Afterschool Network
We were thrilled to join OST Leaders and program directors from across Missouri and Kansas at the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center to provide hands-on strategies for building an entrepreneurial “climate” within their programs.
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3 Classroom Brainstorming Strategies To Unlock More Ideas
Traditional brainstorming often favors the loudest voices and settles for the first “good” idea. To foster true innovation, move from generating ideas to growing them.
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🐝 Build an Air Bee & Bee: Think Like an Eco-Entrepreneur!
Welcome to Air Bee & Bee, an ESTEAM® entrepreneurial learning experience designed to spark divergent thinking and environmental empathy.
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Beyond Brainstorming: Teaching Divergent Thinking Skills to Students
Students often default to safe, “right” answers — but creativity thrives when they generate many possibilities first.
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Learning, Connection, and Innovation with New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network
Bringing Learning to Life Through Workshops at NMOST’s 2026 Spring Into Summer Conference We had a fantastic time connecting with educators and program leaders at the NMOST’s Spring into Summer Conference, hosted by the New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network. This annual gathering brings together out-of-school time (OST) professionals and advocates from across New Mexico to…
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Northern Recharge 2026: Empowering Afterschool Professionals Through ESTEAM & Mindset Workshops
VentureLab was honored to lead two interactive sessions at UAN’s 2026 Northern Recharge focused on cultivating entrepreneurial mindsets in youth and the educators who serve them.
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Why “Entrepreneurial” Brain Breaks Are a Game Changer
Activating Discovery Mode Through Playful, Creative Problem-Solving 6 Entrepreneurial Brain Breaks to Turn On Discovery Mode and Reset Learning: One of the world’s most iconic toys of all time wasn’t born in a boardroom or from data crunching — it emerged from simple, playful moments of observation. While away from her busy role as Mattel…
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Empathy Activation Cards
The Power Skill For Idea Generation Our Empathy Activation Cards are designed to nurture the crucial empathy mindset. By prioritizing empathy, we empower students to move beyond surface-level brainstorming and generate solutions rooted in real-world impact. When students lead with this human-centered mindset, they don’t just “invent”—they solve. It is the essential bridge between a…
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Why Empathy Matters in Entrepreneurship Education
Empathy isn’t just a “soft skill.” It’s a measurable driver of creativity and idea generation.
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This Is Where Bold Youth Ideas Win Big: Introducing the Mott Million Dollar Challenge
VentureLab is thrilled to help spread the word about the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a once in a lifetime national pitch competition for kids and teens in grades K–12.
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Building a Statewide Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Meet Aaron & Mark, VentureLab Certified Advocates in Missouri
VentureLab is proud to celebrate Aaron Banks and Mark Cowsert of the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) for expanded opportunities for young people across Missouri to experience entrepreneurial learning.
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3 Ways to Close the Girls-in-Tech Gap
Imagine a world where the next Google, the next breakthrough in climate science, or the cure for a major disease is created by a woman who was fully empowered to pursue her passion. That world is within our reach. The girls-in-tech gap isn’t a defeat—it’s an unprecedented opportunity to unlock untapped human potential and drive…
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Student Goal Setting for success
Goal Setting for 2nd – 12th Grade Students Every great innovation begins with a spark of curiosity and the active pursuit of opportunities. Through curiosity, students explore the world with wonder; through opportunity seeking, they identify problems worth solving—giving rise to a Big Idea, a bold vision of what could be. While these two stages…
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Refreshing Mindsets with Missouri Afterschool Educators: VentureLab at MOSAC
Every year, afterschool professionals from across Missouri gather for Missouri Afterschool Network’s (MASN) annual event that is more than just a conference—it’s an opportunity to grow, connect, and find a sense of belonging. The Missouri AfterSchool Network brings together program directors, coordinators, and direct service staff to the annual Missouri School Age Conference (MOSAC). The…
