Our approach
STAND uses entrepreneurship as the vehicle. These are the life skills we’re actually building.
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Say what you think
You have ideas, and a point of view. At STAND, you learn to trust your thinking, put it into your own words, and share it with confidence.
Communication · Self-confidence
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Make something real
You start with an idea in your head and turn it into something only you could make. You create with your hands, express your own style, and use whatever tools help bring it to life.
Creativity · Self-expression
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Figure it out
Things break. Plans change. You make decisions, solve problems, and try another way… until you find one that works.
Problem-solving · Resourcefulness · Resilience
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Build with other people
The best ideas get better when other people are part of them. You learn to listen, consider different perspectives, ask for feedback, and work alongside other kids to make it great.
Collaboration · Empathy · Teamwork
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Own it
This is your thing. You learn to see what needs to happen next, take initiative, follow through, and be proud of what you’ve made.
Initiative · Accountability · Follow-through
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Meet Lauren Kassan
Founder of STAND
I’ve been an entrepreneur for most of my adult life. I didn’t go to business school — I learned by doing: putting ideas into the world, getting things right, getting things wrong, and trying again. That experience taught me how to solve problems, trust my judgment, and carry an idea from its earliest stages into something real.
Now, as a mother of two, I think deeply about what kids need to thrive in a world changing faster than schools can adapt. I created STAND to help kids think for themselves, solve real problems, understand money, communicate confidently, and use the tools of their generation without losing their own judgment and creativity. Entrepreneurship is the vehicle. The real product is the confidence, resourcefulness, and agency they build along the way.
