About this Event
San Antonio’s next great founder may still be in school.
Join VentureLab on Friday, November 6 for a full day celebrating young people with ideas worth hearing.
This free event is open to everyone throughout the entire day. You do not need to be an IGNITE finalist, student participant, educator, or mentor to attend. Community members are welcome to join us beginning at 10:00 AM — or attend whichever sessions fit your schedule.
Schedule:
10:00 – 10:30 AM | Welcome, Ice Breaker & Guest Speaker
10:30 – 11:15 AM | Mentor Round Table
11:15 – 11:30 AM | Grab Your Lunch
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM | Lunch & Learn
12:15 – 1:00 PM | Tabling
1:00 – 2:30 PM | IGNITE Final Pitch Competition
- 1:00 – 1:15 PM | Opening
- 1:15 – 2:15 PM | Team Pitches (6 teams — 4-min pitch, 4-min Q&A)
- 2:15 – 2:30 PM | Final Presentations & Closing
This is more than a pitch event. It is an opportunity to see the work behind the pitch: curiosity, empathy, research, collaboration, prototyping, feedback, courage, and persistence.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, educator, student, parent, mentor, investor, or curious community member, you are invited to participate and support San Antonio’s next generation of innovators.
Come for one session or spend the entire day with us. Registration is free.
Why Attend?
At the VentureLab IGNITE Finals, you will:
- Meet young founders working on creative solutions to real problems.
- Explore student-created ideas and prototypes.
- See entrepreneurship education in action.
- Hear live pitches from emerging student innovators.
- Connect with educators, mentors, founders, and community leaders.
- Learn how mentorship and design thinking help students build confidence.
- Help make San Antonio’s startup ecosystem more accessible to young people.
Who Should Attend?
This event is designed for:
- Students and families
- Educators and school leaders
- Entrepreneurs and startup professionals
- Mentors and business leaders
- Investors and ecosystem builders
- Youth-development professionals
- Nonprofit and community leaders
- Anyone interested in education, innovation, or youth entrepreneurship
No previous entrepreneurship experience is required. Bring your curiosity and your willingness to encourage the next generation.
Agenda
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Welcome, Ice Breaker & Guest Speaker
Info: Begin the day by welcoming the IGNITE student founders and exploring what becomes possible when young people are given the tools, relationships, and confidence to turn ideas into action.
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Mentor Round Table
Info: Students will connect with entrepreneurs, professionals, and community leaders for an interactive mentoring experience.
Rather than handing students the answers, mentors will help them question assumptions, communicate their ideas, consider new perspectives, and identify their next experiment.
🕑: 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Lunch and Learn
Info: Students will participate in focused workshops covering practical entrepreneurship topics
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:00 PM
Student Tabling and Showcase
Info: Meet the young founders and explore their ideas up close.
Students will display their concepts, prototypes, and business ideas while answering questions from attendees. Guests are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions, offer constructive feedback, and learn about the problems students are working to solve.
This is an excellent arrival point for community members who cannot attend the entire day.
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
IGNITE Final Pitch Event
Info: The day culminates with the VentureLab IGNITE Final Pitch Event.
Student finalists will present their ideas to a live audience and panel, demonstrating how they identified a problem, developed a solution, incorporated feedback, and communicated the value of their idea.
Come celebrate their courage, creativity, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial growth.
Event venue & nearby stays
Launch SA, 600 Soledad Street, San Antonio, United States
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.