Launching Dreams: How The Launch Pad & Sam Palmer-Shields are Empowering the Next Generation of Founders

At the University of Miami, entrepreneurship lives and thrives thanks to The Launch Pad—the university’s entrepreneurship center that helps transform all CANES ideas into real-world ventures. Since its founding, The Launch Pad has been more than just a resource hub–it’s a community, a mentor network, and often, a springboard to impact.

Behind the powerful programming and the culture of community is a leader whose passion fuels it all. Sam Palmer-Shields, Director of The Launch Pad, is a champion for inclusive entrepreneurship. Her leadership is helping shape a more inclusive, dynamic startup ecosystem–especially for women entrepreneurs.

A Home for Builders, Dreamers & Problem-Solvers

The Launch Pad is more than a resource center — it’s a landing place for anyone with an idea and the courage to explore it. Founded on the belief that entrepreneurship should be accessible, supportive, and hands-on, The Launch Pad provides:

• 1:1 startup consulting to refine ideas, build business models, and map out actionable next steps.
• Mentorship programs, including initiatives focused on women founders.
• Workshops & bootcamps to develop entrepreneurial skills.
• Coworking and community space for collaboration, creativity, and connection.
• Pitch competitions & showcases that give founders visibility and momentum.

It’s a space where students and University of Miami alumni from any major — engineering, business, art, communications, STEM — can walk in with an idea and walk out with a clearer path forward. The Launch Pad has supported thousands of founders–giving structure, resources, and a safe space to turn ambition into action. 

Meet Samantha “Sam” Palmer-Shields

A Leader Fueling Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Sam Palmer-Shields is the kind of leader who doesn’t just run a program — she builds an ecosystem. As Director of The Launch Pad, Sam focuses on accessibility, representation, and empowerment. Her approach is rooted in mentorship, community-building, and clear, actionable pathways for all Miami CANE  founders.

Sam has been vocal about what this role means to her:

“This is the culmination of dedication, resilience, and trusting the process.”

Under her leadership, The Launch Pad has:

• Elevated programming around women’s entrepreneurship, including the “Women Making Moves” initiative.
• Strengthened mentorship pipelines for underrepresented founders.
• Increased visibility for student-led ventures across the university ecosystem.
• Fostered a stronger bridge between UM, industry leaders, and the Miami entrepreneurial community.

Her presence sends a powerful message:

Representation matters. Leadership matters. And when women lead, communities rise.

Sam, how does The Launch Pad support student entrepreneurs?

“It’s challenging with entrepreneurship, because there’s always a moving target. In the academic side of entrepreneurship, programming is really  critical, so being active during the semester when the different stakeholders are on campus and having programmatic efforts that support and supply the ecosystem is really important. We serve students, faculty and alumni which are completely different stakeholders and have different needs, desires, and understanding levels. 

There are a lot of new initiatives that have been started in the School of Business. My goal and vision for that is how do we ensure that these individuals have the right skills that are necessary to design their businesses? We know that being a business owner is really challenging and a lot of the time you’re all alone–you don’t have the support, the team to be able to do the things- so how do we fill the gaps so we can build the progress? 

The other thing that’s really important to me is how to create visibility for the entrepreneurs that are doing things– so inspire the next generation or inspire the people that are more quiet to speak up and be able to add value to the Canes who are also working on something as well too.

There are entrepreneurs who have access to tons of resources and the academic space that hasn’t really caught up in certain ways. It’s a lot of moving parts, but academically, we try to bridge the gap between those two elements.”

Why Sam’s Work Matters — Especially for Women in STEM

Women in STEM often face a gap that isn’t about talent — it’s about access:
Access to networks.
Access to mentorship.
Access to opportunity.

The Launch Pad actively fills that gap. Sam’s leadership aligns directly with what young women innovators need:

• Visibility of women leaders in entrepreneurship roles.
• Structured mentorship to navigate business building.
• A safe, collaborative environment that encourages questions, curiosity, and growth.
• A community that celebrates effort and progress — not just outcomes.

For STEM students whose ideas lean technical, scientific, or “non-traditional,” The Launch Pad becomes the bridge between innovation and impact.

A Space Where Ideas Become Impact

At its core, The Launch Pad fosters something rare: Belief.

Belief that students can be founders.
Belief that women can lead ventures.
Belief that diverse backgrounds create stronger solutions.
Belief that every idea deserves a chance to grow.

Through Sam’s leadership, that belief has become embedded in the culture — showing students that innovation isn’t reserved for later in life, for someone else, or for someone “more experienced.” It’s available now. And that message is transformative.

Sam, what would you say is the ultimate goal of The Launch Pad?

“The Launch Pad is the entrepreneurship center at the University of Miami, we are a free lifetime resource – our goal is being the front door to entrepreneurship at the university. The main way we interact with our clients is to have a conversation and find out what they are trying to accomplish, what areas are they facing the most challenges in, what are some opportunities they can take advantage of, and how can we make sure that we can support them. This includes action items like connecting them to another person for a conversation, or a decision they need to make to decide what the next steps look like. 

We support entrepreneurs throughout this entire process and meet with all the stakeholders at the University virtually or in person so that when we do our programming, we can ensure that we are supporting their needs. 

Some of our programs include Women Making Moves, but we also have an MVP showcase where startups come to the university and advertise and market their venture and learn how to pitch, network, get feedback, collect data and understand and analyze their audience. 

We coach them throughout that process and also offer support on the back end, which means working with other organizations and programs, like the Toppel Career Center, for example, on how we allow and address the needs of startups at the university–including bringing in different resources that are able to talk to these startups who work with them as far as hiring goes, how to build out a team, looking at ways to have externships, internships, and also designing an ecosystem that can thrive.”

The Launch Pad as a Model for Women-Centered Ecosystems

For women in STEM, The Launch Pad provides something invaluable: a space where technical ideas are nurtured, where representation in leadership is visible, and where innovation is encouraged from day one.

Women often enter entrepreneurship with brilliant ideas but limited access to networks or mentorship. The Launch Pad helps bridge that gap by:

• Offering direct access to experienced entrepreneurial mentors
• Creating a community where women can connect with peers and collaborators
• Providing guidance on how to turn a STEM idea into a viable product or venture
• Encouraging leadership through visibility and representation

With Sam at the helm, women in STEM find a leader who reflects their ambition — and an ecosystem built to amplify their potential through mentorship, community, skill building, and representation as a driver for confidence. 

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