Founding Program Lead

STAND is building a new kind of space for kids ages 8 to 13 to learn entrepreneurship by actually doing it.

Think of it as the modern-day lemonade stand. Kids come in with an idea (or no idea at all) and learn how to build something of their own: identifying a problem, developing a product, creating a brand, and bringing their business to life. Entrepreneurship is the vehicle. Everything they learn along the way is the point.

Along the way, they develop confidence, creativity, communication, resilience, and the ability to figure things out.

We're opening our first location in Santa Monica in January 2027, and we're looking for an exceptional Founding Program Lead to join our founding team and help build the STAND experience from the ground up.

The Role

This is an opportunity for someone entrepreneurial who loves working with kids and wants to take real ownership of building something new.

As our Founding Program Lead, you'll be responsible for creating, developing, and executing the in-person STAND experience for our first cohorts. You'll take our initial curriculum and program framework and turn them into an exceptional, engaging, and repeatable experience that kids are genuinely excited to attend.

You'll lead cohorts yourself, refine and build out curriculum, develop activities and materials, establish program routines, and continuously improve the experience based on what you learn.

We're looking for someone who brings the energy of a great coach, the creativity of an entrepreneur, and the operational instincts of a builder. Someone who can think big, roll up their sleeves, and make things happen.

What You'll Do

• Own the end-to-end program experience for STAND's initial cohorts, from curriculum refinement and preparation through classroom execution and final Pitch Night.
• Lead and facilitate in-person entrepreneurship cohorts for kids ages 8–13, creating an engaging, high-energy, hands-on experience.
• Build upon our existing eight-week curriculum, developing and refining lesson plans, activities, materials, and tools that bring entrepreneurship to life.
• Coach kids through the process of identifying problems, developing ideas, building businesses, creating prototypes, and pitching their work.
• Design and implement the systems, routines, and processes needed to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience.
• Continuously evaluate what's working, gather feedback, and improve the curriculum and program experience.
• Collaborate with guest entrepreneurs, founders, and creatives to bring real-world perspectives and experiences into the program.
• Build meaningful relationships with kids and families, understand each child's progress, and create an environment where every kid can succeed.
• Help identify, train, and support additional instructors and coaches as STAND grows.
• Work closely with the founding team to shape the future of STAND, contributing ideas, solving problems, and helping build a program that can scale.

Who You Are

• You're entrepreneurial yourself. You've started a business, launched a project, built a product, or taken an idea from concept to reality. You understand firsthand what it takes to build something, including the creativity, initiative, uncertainty, setbacks, and persistence involved.
• You're exceptional with kids. You can walk into a room of 8- to 13-year-olds, capture their attention, earn their trust, and get them excited about doing something challenging.
• You're a natural motivator and coach. You know how to challenge kids to think independently, make decisions, and solve problems rather than simply giving them the answers.
• You're a builder and an executor. You don't just have great ideas. You know how to turn them into real experiences, build the systems to support them, and take ownership of the details that make them successful.
• You're agile and resourceful. You thrive in environments where things are evolving, and you're comfortable with ambiguity, experimentation, and changing course when something isn't working.
• You're excited by technology and emerging tools, including AI. You're curious about how they can transform the way kids learn, create, and build businesses. You don't need to be a technical expert, but you're eager to experiment, learn quickly, and bring new ideas into the program.
• You care deeply about the experience. You notice what is and isn't working, take initiative to make it better, and hold yourself to a high standard.
• You take ownership. You're comfortable being accountable for an entire experience, from the big-picture vision to the smallest execution details, and you love the challenge of building something from scratch.

Traditional teaching experience is not required. We're looking for someone who combines firsthand entrepreneurial experience, strong leadership and execution skills, and an exceptional ability to connect with and inspire kids.

You might come from entrepreneurship, education, coaching, camps, youth development, creative programming, or building new ventures. What's most important is that you're entrepreneurial, highly engaging, and excited to build a new kind of learning experience.

Logistics

• Full-time, in-person role based in Santa Monica, Los Angeles.
• Founding team position with ownership of curriculum development, program creation, and execution for STAND's initial cohorts.
• Opportunity to grow with STAND as we develop our first location and beyond.

Pay: $75,000.00 - $95,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health insurance

Work Location: In person