The Team Behind Launch Pad
We built Launch Pad because we kept seeing the same gap…smart, capable teens who froze when it mattered. Not because they weren't ready academically. Because no one had ever coached them on how to communicate. We built the program we wished had existed when our own teens needed it.
Russ has spent 36 years building one thing: the ability to help people show up better in the moments that matter.
Across multiple industries he has led sales teams, coached professionals, worked with business leaders, and helped people learn how to communicate with confidence and presence.
For more than a decade he has worked as a professional facilitator, teaching communication, leadership, and people skills in a way that is practical, hands-on, and immediately usable.
His style is not lecture-heavy. It is interactive, high-energy, and built around real practice. Students don't just hear what to do; they do it, get coached, and do it again until it sticks.
Russ believes teens don't need to be fixed. They need to be coached, encouraged, and given real chances to practice. As a father of three grown daughters, he understands both sides of that moment — the parent hoping their teen is ready, and the teen trying to find their voice.
Co-Founder · Lead Instructor · CurriculumRuss Burch
Christie started her career at KPMG and spent the last 20 years as an entrepreneur and consultant, walking into industries she'd never worked in, asking the right questions, and figuring it out.
She holds degrees in Accounting and International Business from UT Austin and spent her junior year of high school living in France, where she first developed the belief that everything is figureoutable.
At Launch Pad, Christie owns the parent experience from first inquiry through graduation, enrollment, communication, and every question in between. If a parent reaches out, Christie responds personally, usually the same day.
She's a mom to three young adults, which means she's not just running the operational side of Launch Pad. She has lived the parent side of it too.
Co-Founder · Family Experience · OperationsChristie Varner
George created Launch Pad because of what he has watched happen to young people trying to enter the professional world…smart, qualified, and completely unprepared for the human side of it.
He brings 25 years in commercial real estate and financial analytics, having led teams managing hundreds of millions in capital across private equity, public development, and family office investing.
He holds an MBA from UT Austin and is the founder of RE Analytics, a financial analytics platform serving the commercial real estate industry.
For the last five years, George has mentored students through Penn State's Architectural Engineering Mentorship Program, guiding them through academic rigor and job placement.
His first mentee is now a co-mentor, helping the next generation through the same process. That kind of long-arc commitment to young people is exactly why he is the right person to help build Launch Pad.
George Burchlaw
Co-Founder · Growth · SystemsWhy We Built This
We didn't set out to build a business.
We set out to fix a problem we kept seeing in our own community,
including in the lives of the teens closest to us.
By the time high school students are facing college interviews,
scholarship conversations, and real interactions with adults who
matter, most of them have never been coached on how to
handle those moments.
Schools focus on academics.
Sports build different muscles.
Tutoring helps with grades, not presence.
Launch Pad is the program we wished existed for the
young adults we love.
Now that we've built it, we'd be honored to put it to work for yours.
Want to Join Our Team?
Launch Pad is growing, and we’re looking for people who believe in helping teens become more confident, capable communicators.
We currently have opportunities for Trainers and Community Ambassadors at our Plano and Frisco locations.
Become a Launch Pad Trainer
Do you enjoy working with teens and helping them build skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives?
Launch Pad Trainers lead our interactive communication and confidence-building sessions for high school students. Using our established curriculum, Trainers create a supportive, engaging environment where students practice real-world skills including conversation, public speaking, active listening, networking, and connecting with others.
We’re looking for energetic, dependable people who are comfortable leading groups, encouraging participation, and helping teens step outside their comfort zones.
Interested in becoming a Trainer?
Apply today to learn more about the opportunity and our Trainer training process.
Become a Community Ambassador
Are you well connected in your local community and enjoy building relationships?
Launch Pad Community Ambassadors help us introduce Launch Pad to businesses and organizations that already serve teens and families, including tutoring centers, driving schools, sports programs, music programs, counselors, youth organizations, and other community partners.
This is a flexible, commission-based opportunity focused on developing relationships and creating awareness of Launch Pad throughout the community. We provide the program information, marketing materials, and support; you help us build the local connections.
It can be a great fit for someone with strong community relationships who wants flexible work while helping bring an important resource to local teens.
Interested in becoming a Community Ambassador?
Apply today and learn how you can help us grow the Launch Pad community.