• Open application period of 6 weeks.
• No cost to apply.
• Not looking for new trend/designs, rather problem-solving and innovation.
• Open to students, engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, industry pros, and industry outsiders.
• Applicants submit a 4-page PDF covering the idea, market fit, approach, and potential impact.

• LaunchPad Team spends weeks reviewing all submissions and filtering.
• LaunchPad Team goes deep into each entry.
• Ideas recognized by the LaunchPad Team as innovative and actionable will not be left behind – see next step
• As we narrow the list of top innovators, we will schedule video interviews with those we feel have the most potential and who are willing and able to put in the time and effort to move their idea forward.
• LaunchPad Team chooses the Elite 8 to enter the next stage of our program, based on:
• Problem they solve
• Opportunity created
• Scalability
• The innovator's vision, talent, coachability and avilability

• LaunchPad Team works to ensure no talent or concept is left on the table.
• Each innovator outside the Elite 8 with an idea recognized by the LaunchPad Team as innovative and actionable may be placed with an industry expert or professional to provide some form of consultation.
• There is no guarantee of engagment, it depends on the idea and person behind it.

• Top 8 innovators (the Elite 8) go through an immersive 8-week virtual program to help them refine and build their ideas.
• LaunchPad training and development support including direct consulting, education, mentoring, and building up is worth $250,000+ per innovator.
• Each week, participants join 1.5 hr expert briefings on:
• Finance
• Business planning
• Footwear marketplace
• Supply chain
• Technology
• Prototyping and commercialization
• Potential guidance for filing for provisional patents as needed
• Several weekly 1-on-1 sessions between innovators and selected technical experts helping close gaps or addressing challenges needing solutions.
• Each participant leaves with:
• Their idea fleshed out
• A clear pitch deck
• A prototyping and deployment plan
• Investment/support asks

First public look at Elite 8 ideas and innovators:

• The Elite 8 Elevation Event is where innovators present their ideas live to footwear industry leaders at FDRA’s Innovation & Sustainability Summit in November in Portland.
• The program continues for Elite 8 innovators who wish to continue to commercialization.

After the Elite 8 Elevation Event, participants can choose to continue to engage with the Footwear Innovation Foundation and Liminal Group to build their ideas into a reality. We want to provide clear pathways to real commercaliztion in a way no one else can.