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Innovation teams need more than just funding to turn their promising ideas into lasting impact and sustainable solutions. They also need time, structure, practical tools, trusted feedback, and a community that can help them continue learning as their innovation evolves. Those supports are what Breakthrough Accelerator’s training approach offers innovation teams—and why we built the program the way we did.

By the time Demo Day arrived for Breakthrough Accelerator’s second cohort, I had already spent months getting to know the teams through workshops and coaching conversations. As a coach, I had a front-row seat as teams tackled hard questions, shifted their thinking, tested and refined their ideas, and moved through […]

As part of Breakthrough’s training workshops, we ask innovation teams to identify their long-term goals, including the specific positive impacts they want to have on young people. Our Cohort 2 innovation teams envision impacts that include increasing the use of health care services by college students, building parenting confidence among […]

2025 was a busy and exciting year for the Breakthrough Accelerator! From our inaugural cohort completing their journeys and presenting at our first-ever Demo Day, to onboarding and training our second cohort of innovators, 2025 was filled with learning, innovation, community, and progress. A snapshot of our 2025 accomplishments Across […]

As we step into 2026, we at Breakthrough find ourselves reflecting on a milestone that still feels fresh: the completion of our first accelerator cohort in May 2025. Last year, five teams from across the country took a leap of faith on a new accelerator, working over 10 months to […]

Innovations in adolescent health and well-being are happening all around us, but without strong communication of what makes them significant, even the best ideas may never reach the young people they’re designed for. That’s where branding comes in. At Breakthrough Accelerator, we see branding as encompassing more than just good […]

The Up to Us team is using short films to change how we talk with young people, ages 17–25, about sexual health, especially with those affected by the justice system. You can see a trailer for their films and request access to the full series on the Up to Us […]

After 10 months of ideation, pivots, planning, and practice pitches, five Innovation Design Teams (IDTs) arrived at Breakthrough’s first-ever “Demo Day” on May 20, 2025, ready to present their bold ideas. Each team came with a vision for change and countless hours of work behind them, eager to not just […]

At Breakthrough, we support innovation teams that create new solutions to promote adolescent health and well-being. Beyond the Bump, one of five innovation teams in our inaugural 2024 cohort, focuses on improving care for pregnant and parenting teens ages 12–19 by training doulas to provide teen-friendly and trauma-informed care. Jenita […]