About Us
About Us
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Our Mission
Our Mission
The Career Simulation Lab prepares college students for their early careers through in-person, learn-by-doing experiences. The program provides training and practice that bridge the gap between university education and the practical workplace skills needed by employers.
The summer 2026 pilot program is designed to prepare students to be competitive applicants for summer 2027 corporate internships or entry level jobs.
Elisa Aldridge
Elisa Aldridge
Founder and Director
Medical Device Consultant with experience starting up hands-on simulated robotic surgery labs
Todd Johnston
Todd Johnston
Advisor
Collaborative Design & Facilitation
across teams, organizations, and business ecosystems
Bob Kraska
Bob Kraska
Advisor
Corporate HR Leader with experience leading career development and internship programs
A Few Words from the Founder
A Few Words from the Founder
During my 20-year medical device career, some of my most rewarding work has been hiring, mentoring, and coaching young professionals as they build their careers. Team building, collaboration, and cross-functional projects have been at the center of my career — and I believe those same experiences can transform how students prepare for theirs.
This summer I'm launching a pilot program built around that idea: an in-person, cohort-based professional job prep experience for college students. I'm looking forward to building this community, testing these ideas, and laying the foundation for something lasting. This is the training I've always wanted to give the students I mentor.
The Inspiration
The Inspiration
The Career Simulation Lab was inspired by my mother-in-law, Gail Taylor, who spent her whole adult life teaching, facilitating, and mentoring groups of people. One of Gail's projects, Exchange City, is the inspiration for the Career Simulation Lab. At Exchange City, fifth grade students interviewed for different jobs, prepared, then spent a day running a child sized city. Decades later, people in Kansas City still talk about how much they enjoyed the experience and what they learned. We want to use this in-person, simulation approach to help college students prepare for their careers.
The Future
The Future
Following the Summer 2026 pilot, we plan to scale the Career Simulation Lab into a sustainable, boutique career development experience. Our long term goals include:
Accessible Education: Developing a business model that funds half of our participants from low-income or first-generation college backgrounds.
Career Themes: Expanding the program to include specialized, themed sessions such as medical device, data analysis and visualization, real estate, or self-funded small businesses
Experiential Learning: Maintaining a program whose core values include in-person experience, team work, and personalized one-one-one mentoring.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Have a question about a program? Interested in volunteering or getting involved? We'd love to hear from you.
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