Program Overview

Overview of the Lean Launchpad Program (LLP)

The Lean Launchpad Program (LLP) is a business creation workshop that will be offered over a period of approximately two and a half months from the end of May in 1Q2Q AY 2026. The program is designed for participants to work in teams to verify the marketability of their own business ideas and aim to create a business plan that has a high probability of being realized in society.

Program Details

• The Lean Launchpad Program (LLP) was proposed by Steve Blank, a serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, USA, and has been adopted by many Silicon Valley startups and large companies, including Japanese companies.
• The program is offered at many universities in the United States, including Stanford University, as a training program for developing entrepreneurship/leadership skills.
• The workshop will be facilitated by external instructors with expertise in business creation and startup investment.
• Although students can apply for this program without taking any course, there are several courses available that allow students to earn credits for entrepreneurship courses.

Available Courses

• Bachelor's students: ENT.V205 Bachelor's Practical Group Work for Value Creation (0-2-0)
• Master's students: ENT.V505 Master's Practical Group Work for Entrepreneurship I (0-2-0, GA0M/GA1M)
• Doctoral students: ENT.V607 Doctoral Practical Group Work for Entrepreneurship I (0-2-0, GA0D/GA1D)
• ToTAL students:
  • TAL.W504 Master's Practical Group Work for Leadership I (0-2-0, GA0M/GA1M)
  • TAL.W602 Doctoral Practical Group Work for Leadership I (0-2-0, GA0D/GA1D)

Briefing Sessions

Briefing sessions for the program will be held three times; twice in February and once in March. The briefing session in English will be held on February 27.

• Date & Time:
  • Session 1 (in Japanese): Monday, February 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Session 2 (in English): Friday, February 27, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Session 3 (in Japanese): Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
• Method: In person or online
• Language used: Japanese (Session 1 and 3), English (Session 2)
• Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students

Additional Opportunities

In January 2026, an "IdeaThon" workshop will be offered, providing training in creating "business ideas" using the Design Thinking methodology and AI.