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.
Every innovation team enters Breakthrough with a different proposed solution, set of strengths, areas in need of support, and goals for their innovation. Breakthrough creates space for innovation development, strengthens solutions through in-person training workshops, and accelerates learning through training and coaching, all while building community within each cohort—and building teams’ capacity to maintain momentum after our 11-month accelerator program ends.
This blog describes and provides examples of each of these supports. Throughout, we include quotes from previous Breakthrough innovators to connect each support to innovation teams’ experiences.
Creating space for innovation development
One of the greatest challenges innovation teams face is to find time to step back from day-to-day responsibilities and focus on their innovation’s long-term development. Breakthrough’s training approach intentionally creates that space.
Throughout the 11-month accelerator, teams join in-person training workshops (called Breakthrough Labs), virtual learning sessions, coaching calls, and peer learning opportunities. Together, these experiences help teams make meaningful progress on their innovations while building the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to sustain that progress over time.
- “We see each other at [work]. But [during Breakthrough Labs], we did so much together … That’s not something that we get to do a lot because we’re all so busy. So that was just so valuable …The personal time together, I think that inherently just makes you a better team.” – Cohort 1
- “This experience has clarified a lot for our team, giving us direction, and helped us feel more optimistic about our project having future success.” – Cohort 1
Strengthening solutions through Breakthrough Labs
Breakthrough’s in-person Labs are designed to help teams focus deeply on their innovation—with dedicated support from their coach—while learning alongside peers navigating similar challenges and innovation milestones.
During Breakthrough Lab: Foundations (held within the first two months of our accelerator program), teams establish goals for their accelerator experience, build relationships with coaches and cohort members, and clarify key aspects of their innovation, including the problem/challenge they are trying to solve and their innovation’s mission, vision, theory of change, and logic model. They also learn about the business model canvas and end user journey maps—tools that help them brainstorm and identify the resources, partnerships, and funding needed to sustain their innovation and better understand the people (users) their innovation serves.
Midway through the program, team members reconvene for Breakthrough Lab: Sustainability, where they shift focus toward long-term growth. Teams develop strategic plans, refine approaches to budgeting and revenue generation, strengthen evaluation and data collection plans, and learn how to communicate their innovations effectively through pitch development and practice.
Cohort 2 innovation teams work to identify an assumption in their innovation or business model that needs to be tested, with support from Breakthrough coaches.
The Labs combine structured training with dedicated working time, allowing teams to immediately apply what they learn to their own innovations with support from coaches and peers.
- “I loved how hands-on our [Lab] was. I really appreciated having multiple one-on-ones with our coach, receiving the guidance needed to advance our project and feeling more confident in the process. I also love that we got to interact with the other teams and get to know them a little more!” – Cohort 2
- “[The] most impactful things were probably the in-person events, which were incredible times of really shifting things, moving things forward. Like being pushed to think nimbly and creatively, and in ways that we often don’t think. And then the connections to the other groups. It was a really big deal.” – Cohort 1
Accelerating learning through training and coaching
Between Labs, teams participate in monthly virtual learning sessions. These sessions are led by Breakthrough Coaches and by subject matter experts invited to join the sessions, and additionally feature Breakthrough alumni and youth advisors.
Each session focuses on a specific building block of innovation development—from understanding target markets and building recognizable brand identities, to identifying meaningful ways to engage young people, to planning for launching and growth. Rather than ask teams to simply learn new concepts, we include working time in each session so teams leave with tools and action steps they can continue to apply to their innovations.
- “It’s always helpful to have time to immediately break into our groups to work on whatever we just learned.” – Cohort 2
- “[I liked the training’s] helpful scaffolding to narrow and apply our broad research experience to this experience/process. I liked the breakouts to work with the team, and the shares to hear how others are doing.” – Cohort 2
Follow-up coaching calls help teams translate learning into action and build momentum, ensuring that training remains relevant to each team’s stage of innovation development and goals.
- “Our coaches have been responsive, supportive, and engaged throughout the entire process. We have enjoyed this coaching experience and have noticed how good coaching can positively impact an innovation in this phase.” – Cohort 1
- “[Our coach] let us guide and gave suggestions when they found we were struggling. If we were stuck, or if we just needed a gentle push, they always had something ready for us.” – Cohort 1
Teams receive tailored guidance that aligns with their goals via biweekly coaching calls and working sessions with their coaches during in-person Labs and virtual training sessions.
Building community within and beyond the cohort
A key feature of each team’s Breakthrough experience is the opportunity to learn alongside other innovators. Across both in-person and virtual sessions, teams participate in discussions, breakout activities, and peer feedback opportunities. These interactions allow innovators to share challenges, exchange ideas, and learn from one another’s experiences.
- “It was very energizing to connect with other creators doing this work!” – Cohort 1
- “We were able to break down the different ways to continuing honing in on our launch and were able to get inspiration from the other [innovation development] teams.” – Cohort 2
Cohort 1 innovators work across teams on a team-building design challenge.
Throughout the accelerator, teams also share regular updates on their goals, progress, and current needs. This practice ensures accountability while fostering a supportive environment in which teams can celebrate successes and offer encouragement during challenges.
Beyond their own cohort, innovators can connect with Breakthrough alumni and the broader Office of Population Affairs-funded Teen Pregnancy Prevention Innovation Hub network. These relationships help teams expand their perspectives and see their own work as part of a larger effort to improve outcomes in adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
Building momentum beyond the accelerator
By the end of the accelerator, teams have had opportunities to clarify their model, test assumptions, engage young people and other end users, collect early evidence, strengthen their messaging, plan for sustainability, and prepare to share their work publicly. Demo Day unifies these efforts, giving teams a platform to present their innovations, receive feedback, and connect with potential partners, funders, and supporters.
