ChaiTech Innovators Lab
ChaiTech Innovators Lab
Test your idea before you build it.
A 5-week virtual pre-accelerator for aspiring founders, emerging entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, and community innovators who want to validate an idea before investing serious time, money, or energy.
Orientation Week begins August 4th
Core Programming begins August 11th
Program Duration: August 4 – September 3, 2026
Format: Virtual
Virtual Sessions: Tuesdays + Thursdays, 12:00–2:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Sessions: Fridays, 12:00–1:00 PM ET
Early bird pricing starts at $499 CAD (plus tax) for the first 18 participants.
Most people build too early.
They fall in love with an idea before they know whether the problem is real, whether the right people actually feel it, or whether anyone would care enough to change, pay, join, or support it.
That is expensive.
ChaiTech Innovators Lab exists to help you slow down just enough to get smarter before you go faster.
This is not a program about pretending you already have a company.
It is a program about helping you discover:
whether the problem is real
whether the opportunity is meaningful
whether your idea deserves more time and commitment
whether you are ready to become the person who builds it
What is ChaiTech Innovators Lab?
ChaiTech Innovators Lab is a virtual pre-accelerator for people who have an idea, insight, problem area, lived experience, or early concept — but are not yet sure whether it should become a startup, social enterprise, or serious innovation initiative.
Over four weeks, you will learn how to test your assumptions, talk to the right people, gather real-world evidence, and make a smarter decision about what comes next.
Then, during Pitch Your Progress Week, you will prepare and share what you learned: the problem, the people you spoke with, the patterns you found, what changed in your thinking, and your 90-day roadmap.
Who this is for
This program is designed for:
aspiring founders
emerging entrepreneurs
students and recent graduates
professionals exploring a new venture
social entrepreneurs
nonprofit and community innovators
people with an idea they want to test properly
You do not need to have a product.
You do not need to have a business plan.
You do not need to call yourself a founder yet.
You do need curiosity, initiative, and the willingness to learn from real people instead of assumptions.
What you will walk away with
By the end of the program, you will leave with:
a sharper understanding of the problem you want to solve
a clearer view of who feels that problem most urgently
real customer or stakeholder conversations
stronger evidence about what is true and what is not
a clearer value proposition
a practical decision: continue, pivot, pause, or stop
a simple 90-day roadmap for what to do next
a short Pitch Your Progress story that communicates your learning clearly
Most importantly, you will leave with more clarity and less guesswork.
What makes this different
There are many programs that help people build faster.
This one helps you think better first.
ChaiTech Innovators Lab is built around a simple belief:
The goal is not to convince you your idea is good.
The goal is to help you discover whether it is worth building.
That means this program is practical, honest, evidence-driven, and built around learning — not hype.
You will be challenged to:
ask better questions
listen more carefully
separate encouragement from evidence
identify patterns instead of anecdotes
make decisions based on signal, not wishful thinking
What is included
Your tuition includes:
8 live Innovators Lab sessions
5 peer progress sessions
guided exercises and validation assignments
accountability and reflection throughout the program
a structured Pitch Your Progress preparation session
a virtual closing Validation Showcase
access to the ChaiTech community and network
a practical 90-day roadmap to guide your next steps
Program Format
ChaiTech Innovators Lab is a 5-week virtual pre-accelerator, followed by a closing Pitch Your Progress Week.
Live Innovators Lab Sessions: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00–2:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Sessions: Fridays, 12:00–1:00 PM ET
Pitch Your Progress Week: September 1–4, including final preparation, peer practice, a closing validation showcase, and your 90-day roadmap.
Each week combines practical teaching, live exercises, customer discovery assignments, peer accountability, and feedback.
Final Program Schedule
Week 1: From Idea to Problem
Tuesday, August 4
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 1: Start With the Problem
Clarify the problem area, define your starting hypothesis, and learn why strong innovators validate before they build.
Thursday, August 6
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 2: Who Has This Problem Most Urgently?
Identify the people most likely to feel the problem deeply, frequently, or expensively.
Friday, August 7
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Session: Your First Validation Plan
Share your problem hypothesis, target user, and first discovery plan with your peer group.
Week 2: Customer Discovery
Tuesday, August 11
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 3: Ask Better Questions
Learn how to run customer discovery conversations without pitching, leading, or biasing the answers.
Thursday, August 13
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 4: Find the Signal
Separate compliments from evidence, identify patterns, and understand what people are really telling you.
Friday, August 14
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Session: What Are You Hearing?
Compare discovery notes, surface early patterns, and sharpen your next round of conversations.
Week 3: Value and Demand
Tuesday, August 18
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 5: What Makes the Problem Worth Solving?
Assess urgency, frequency, pain, current alternatives, and the cost of doing nothing.
Thursday, August 20
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 6: Will Anyone Care Enough to Change?
Explore willingness to pay, switching behavior, decision-makers, and what would make your solution meaningfully better.
Friday, August 21
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Session: Evidence Checkpoint
Review what evidence is getting stronger, what assumptions are weakening, and what still needs to be tested.
Week 4: Shape the Opportunity
Tuesday, August 25
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 7: Your Value Proposition
Turn what you have learned into a clearer, simpler explanation of the value you may create.
Thursday, August 27
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 8: Continue, Pivot, Pause, or Stop
Decide what the evidence says and determine whether the idea deserves more time, energy, and commitment.
Friday, August 28
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Peer Progress Session: Your 90-Day Roadmap
Translate your learning into a practical next-step plan.
Pitch Your Progress Capstone Week
Tuesday, September 1
12:00–2:00 PM ET
Session 9: Build Your Validation Story
Prepare your Pitch Your Progress story: the problem, who you spoke with, what you learned, what changed, and what comes next.
Thursday, September 3
7:00–9:00 PM ET
Pitch Your Progress: Validation Showcase
Share your evidence, learning, decisions, and 90-day roadmap with the ChaiTech community.
Friday, September 4
12:00–1:00 PM ET
Final Peer Progress Session: From Learning to Action
Reflect on your progress, receive final peer feedback, and commit to your next 90 days.
Learn from experienced founders, operators, and mentors
ChaiTech Innovators Lab is shaped by experienced builders, operators, mentors, and instructors who understand what it actually takes to move from idea to evidence.
Programming will draw from ChaiTech’s broader community of experienced founders, investors, operators, and educator-practitioners — while keeping the focus where it belongs: helping you test, learn, and decide what to do next.
Why ChaiTech
ChaiTech has become one of the fastest-growing Jewish innovation and entrepreneurship communities in North America.
To date, ChaiTech has:
supported 350+ Jewish and ally entrepreneurs
engaged 200+ startups
delivered 7 accelerator cohorts
hosted 10 sold-out innovation and community events
welcomed 3,000+ attendees
helped participants build stronger skills, stronger networks, and stronger community connection
This program brings that same commitment to practical learning, thoughtful mentorship, and meaningful community — earlier in the journey.
What participants often realize
By the end of Innovators Lab, many participants realize one of four things:
Continue — the evidence is strong and the idea deserves more commitment
Pivot — the problem is real, but the angle needs to change
Pause — there may be something here, but the timing is not right
Stop — the evidence is not strong enough, and that clarity is valuable too
All four are good outcomes.
Because the point is not to force a venture into existence.
The point is to make a better decision.
Tuition
Founding Cohort tuition begins at $499 CAD for the first 18 participants.
As the cohort fills, tuition will increase to $599 CAD for the next 18 participants and then $799 USD.
Future cohorts are expected to be priced at $999 CAD+.
If you have been thinking about testing an idea seriously, this founding cohort is the best time to join.
This program is for you if…
you have been sitting on an idea and want to test it properly
you are tired of thinking in circles and want structured momentum
you want to talk to real people before building the wrong thing
you want guidance, accountability, and a smart peer group
you want to become more confident in what to do next
This program is probably not for you if…
you only want inspiration without doing the work
you are unwilling to speak to real users, customers, or stakeholders
you are looking for fundraising coaching or investor introductions right now
you already have strong validation and are ready for a later-stage accelerator
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to already be a founder?
No. This program is specifically designed for people who may not yet identify as founders but want to explore whether their idea should become something more serious.
Do I need to have a product or business plan?
No. You only need an idea, insight, problem area, or early concept worth exploring.
Is this only for startups?
No. It is designed for people exploring startups, social enterprises, and community innovation initiatives.
What if I am not sure my idea is good enough?
That is exactly why the program exists. You do not need certainty. You need a process for getting smarter.
What happens after the program?
You will leave with clarity, evidence, and a 90-day roadmap. Some participants may decide to continue building. Others may pivot, pause, or stop. The goal is a better decision.
Is this a pitch competition?
No. The closing experience is called Pitch Your Progress because it is about sharing your learning, evidence, and next steps — not competing for investor attention.
What if I miss a session?
Live participation is strongly encouraged because the value comes from discussion, practice, and accountability. If you know your schedule will be difficult, please consider whether this is the right cohort for you.
Ready to test your idea properly?
If you have been waiting for the right moment to stop guessing and start learning, this is it.
Join a serious, supportive, practical program designed to help you validate your idea before you invest more time, money, or energy.
Apply now for the founding cohort of ChaiTech Innovators Lab.
Early bird pricing starts at $499 CAD (plus tax) for the first 18 participants.
Spots are limited.