Pitch competitions, real clients, and founders who tell you how it actually went — the LEAP Business chapter is where you stop reading about business and start running one.
Every LEAP chapter runs on the same four pillars — here's what they look like in Business.
Marketing, sales, and operations roles at businesses in your community.
Join an early-stage team and see every side of a company at once.
Spend real days alongside entrepreneurs and small-business owners.
Intro placements and projects in accounting, banking, and financial planning.
Founders and owners mentor you through your own venture ideas.
Specialists coach members in the functional skills companies hire for.
Bring your business idea — mentors stress-test it like investors would.
Build a profile that gets replies before you're 18.
Compete with real prizes and real judges — DECA-style, but cross-field.
Casual AMAs with entrepreneurs who built something from nothing.
Solve live business cases in teams under time pressure.
Members launch mini-ventures and sell to the actual public.
Run social media and campaigns for local nonprofits for free — verified hours.
Teach budgeting and money basics to teens and families in the community.
Free student consulting sprints for local shops that can't afford agencies.
Plan and run fundraisers where 100% goes to community needs.
The events and projects we're building the founding year around. (These illustration slots become real photos as soon as we host them — of you, maybe.)
Chapters are student-run. Founding officers build this from day one, which is exactly the kind of leadership colleges and employers notice.
Owns the vision, runs meetings, and represents the chapter to the school and to LEAP national.
Interviews and welcomes new members, and keeps the roster and member records clean.
Plans networking events, tours, and competitions from idea to day-of logistics.
Builds relationships with local firms and sponsors that fund events and open internship doors.
Organizes volunteering projects and syncs member hours with LEAP Tutoring.
Recruits professional mentors and matches them with members through the year.
Fill out the interest form below — takes under a minute.
A short, friendly conversation with the onboarding lead about what you want out of the chapter.
Get your member kit, pick your first event, and log your first volunteer hours.
No. The chapter exists to build your experience, not to gatekeep it. If you're curious about Business, you're qualified.
Nothing. Every LEAP program is 100% free for students — that's the entire point of the organization.
Plan on one chapter meeting per week or two, plus the events and volunteering you opt into. Founding officers put in more — and get more out of it.
Yes — founding members from every grade. Starting early means more years of internships, mentorship, and leadership on your record.
Then you might be its founder. Head to LEAP Home and request the chapter starter kit.
A new real-world business dilemma every week. Read the prompt, form your argument, and submit your recommendation.
Organized by DECA/FBLA event category. Use these to sharpen your analysis and build your reference bank.
Nike signed the controversial athlete as brand ambassador. "Dream Crazy" sparked boycotts — and record sales. What does brand activism really cost?
Study this case →In 1985, Coke changed its 99-year-old formula after research showed customers preferred the new taste. Customers revolted. A masterclass in what surveys miss.
Study this case →Spotify gives away music free with ads and converts listeners into paying subscribers. How does freemium optimize lifetime value — and when does it break?
Study this case →In 2021, retail investors on Reddit drove GameStop's stock skyward, crushing hedge funds short-selling the stock. A raw case in market mechanics and power.
Study this case →Apple held $250B+ in cash for years. Investors demanded buybacks or dividends. What should a company do with excess capital — and why did Apple wait?
Study this case →WeWork hit a $47B valuation then nearly collapsed before going public. A story about the gap between storytelling and fundamentals — and what investors missed.
Study this case →Airbnb disrupted hospitality globally — then fought city-by-city regulations for a decade. How do platform companies manage compliance without killing growth?
Study this case →A video-first DTC razor brand launched with a $4,500 video, built $150M in annual revenue, and sold to Unilever for $1B. What made the model click?
Study this case →Patagonia ran a full-page NYT ad telling customers NOT to buy their products. Sales went up. Counterintuitive — and instructive — anti-marketing.
Study this case →Zappos hired for culture above all else and offered new hires $2,000 to quit if they didn't feel it. How does values-based hiring shape performance?
Study this case →No vacation policy. No expense approvals. Total salary transparency. Netflix eliminated most management controls. Does freedom create responsibility — or chaos?
Study this case →Named "America's Most Innovative Company" six years running — then collapsed in the largest accounting fraud in U.S. history. What governance systems failed?
Study this case →Toyota pioneered lean manufacturing by receiving parts only when needed. How does JIT create competitive advantage — and what is its hidden vulnerability?
Study this case →Delivering packages to millions of front doors is the hardest part of e-commerce. How does Amazon use technology, gig workers, and its own fleet to solve it?
Study this case →McDonald's owns the land under most of its restaurants. Franchisees run the operations. The model scaled to 40,000+ locations. How does it work financially?
Study this case →VW installed software to cheat emissions tests worldwide. The company paid $25B+ in fines. A study in the compounding cost of corporate deception.
Study this case →87 million users' data was harvested without consent and used in political targeting. This case reshaped global thinking on data as product and privacy as right.
Study this case →In 1982, J&J recalled 31 million Tylenol bottles after poisoning deaths. Their fast, transparent response became the gold standard for crisis management.
Study this case →Start with $10,000 in virtual cash. Track your picks and compete on the class leaderboard.
Prices are simulated and fluctuate daily. Enter how many shares you want to hold (virtual, no real money).
Enter your name and current portfolio value to appear on the board.
Two-minute pitches. A live panel. Written feedback. Practice here before you go anywhere real.
Let members see who's pitching what. Add your concept to the preview board.
Event-by-event strategy, resources, and practice to walk into your next competition fully prepared.
What the event tests: The 4 Ps, consumer behavior, market research, advertising, pricing strategies, and DECA-style role-play scenarios.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
Sample role-play: "You're a marketing consultant for a local bakery wanting to expand. The owner wants to increase awareness on a $500 budget. What do you recommend?" (10 min to prepare, 10 min to present.)
What the event tests: Financial statements, banking, credit, investment basics, insurance, and financial planning fundamentals.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
What the event tests: Business plan development, market analysis, competitive advantage, startup unit economics, pitch skills, and entrepreneurial mindset.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
What the event tests: Organizational structures, HR concepts, leadership styles, operations management, and strategic planning.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
What the event tests: Hotel operations, food and beverage management, tourism economics, customer service, and event planning concepts.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
What the event tests: Budgeting, saving, taxes, credit scores, investing basics, insurance, and consumer rights.
Top 3 prep strategies
Study resources
Structured template for your business idea — submit for peer feedback with a rubric.
1–2 paragraphs: What does your business do? What problem does it solve? What stage are you at? Who is the team?
Describe the specific pain point your customer has, then explain how your product or service uniquely addresses it.
Total Addressable Market (everyone who could buy), Serviceable Addressable Market (those you can realistically reach), and Serviceable Obtainable Market (your realistic first-year target).
Who else is solving this problem? List 3–5 competitors and explain your differentiation. Use a 2×2 matrix if helpful.
How do you make money? Detail your pricing, revenue streams, and unit economics (cost to acquire a customer vs. lifetime value).
How will you reach your first 100 customers? Channels, messaging, and go-to-market plan.
Month-by-month revenue and expense projections for Year 1. Assumptions must be stated explicitly.
Who is building this and why are you the right people? Include relevant experience, skills, and roles.
Tell us your interest — we match you with a professional for a 30-minute call.
Monthly talks from entrepreneurs, investors, and executives — recorded and archived.
"Building a $1M Business Before You Graduate College"
July 29, 2026 · 7:30 PM CT · Zoom Q&A
Build a professional LinkedIn presence in high school — peer-reviewed.
Use a clear, professional headshot. Plain background. Smart-casual attire.
Don't just say "Student." Try: "Aspiring Business Leader | DECA Member | LEAP Business Chapter"
3–4 sentences: who you are, what you're passionate about, what you're working toward.
Include clubs, volunteer roles, and part-time jobs. Use action verbs.
Add 5+ skills. Ask teammates to endorse you after projects.
Start with classmates, teachers, and any professionals you've met. 50+ unlocks full search.
Virtual 1-day event: case competition, keynote speaker, networking, and awards.
April 4, 2027 · Virtual (Zoom + Discord) · Morning Keynote · Case Competition · Networking Breakouts · Awards Ceremony
Opening session with a featured business leader.
Teams compete on a live business case with judges.
Breakout rooms by interest area with industry guests.
Recognizing the top competitors and contributors.
The people who join first shape everything — the events, the culture, the opportunities. Put your name in.
Request to join →