Selected for their visionary work and commitment to youth-centered innovation, our 2024 Breakthrough Accelerator teams are redefining what’s possible in sexual and reproductive health. With expertise spanning public health, social work, education, filmmaking, and more, these innovators are dedicated to creating impactful and sustainable solutions tailored to the communities they serve.
meet our innovators
ATLAS
ATLAS
Autistic Teens Learning About Sexuality (ATLAS) first started by providing resources for caregivers of autistic youth regarding sexual health topics. Currently, ATLAS is working to establish an engaging, accessible, and supportive environment for autistic and neurodivergent youth and young adults to learn about sexual and reproductive health through online gaming.
the innovation
ATLAS is a web-based sexual health education resource that deeply considers the learning needs and experiences of autistic youth. This multimedia resource shares plain-language sexual health information through interactive games, real-life scenarios, and personalized learning paths.
why is this important to your team?
In schools, if sex education is provided, it is often not tailored to the learning needs and experiences of autistic students. Caregivers of autistic youth also frequently report that they do not feel equipped to share information about sex with the autistic youth in their lives. ATLAS aims to address this gap by creating accessible, inclusive sex education resources specifically designed for autistic youth, incorporating diverse formats and perspectives to better serve individuals with various identities and experiences.
“Involvement with the Breakthrough Accelerator program will significantly advance our ideas and products by providing access to a collaborative, immersive environment where we work across cohorts and with autistic youth as thought partners.”
the team
Working effectively together since 2021, the ATLAS team shares a passion for advancing equity in adolescent sexual and reproductive health. The team holds interdisciplinary expertise in the fields of psychology, education, public health, and disability advocacy.
- Jaye Capretto (she/her), University of Oklahoma, Project Lead
- Gale Hann (they/them), University of Oklahoma, Team Member
- Jenny Sperling (she/they), University of Oklahoma, Team Member
coaches
Beyond the Bump
Beyond the Bump
Beyond the Bump aims to promote healthy pregnancies and childbirth by providing teen-friendly, trauma-informed doula support and patient education.
the innovation
Beyond the Bump recruits and trains doulas to provide teen friendly, trauma informed care to pregnant and parenting teens. Our goal is to equip doulas with the tools and knowledge they need to empower teens to have the experience they desire and a positive transition into parenthood. “This was the best experience I ever had.” – A quote from a teen parent who received teen friendly doula support through Beyond the Bump.
why is this important to your team?
Pregnant teens experience inequitable maternal health outcomes, such as high rates of preterm births and cesarean sections, and low rates of breastfeeding initiation. These inequities increase for pregnant women of color, who are at a significantly greater risk of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality than White women. Doula services are an evidence-based approach to promote healthy pregnancies, births, and postpartum care among individuals—and a promising strategy for creating system-wide change by encouraging more patient-centered, respectful care in birth hospitals.
“We hope that by participating in the Breakthrough Accelerator, we will be able to refine our innovation and finalize key components that make Beyond the Bump unique, equitable, and valuable for all partners, collaborators, and participants.”
the team
The Beyond the Bump team is passionate about improving health and well-being for pregnant teens and their families. A diverse group made up of social workers and a doula with support from a pediatrician, the team has a unique awareness of the challenges expecting teen parents face and extensive experience supporting teen parents with their social, emotional, and reproductive and sexual health needs.
- Christiana Jolda (she/her), Children’s National Hospital, Project Lead
- Akilah Witherspoon (she/her), Children’s National Hospital, Team Member
- Emily Handy (she/her), Children’s National Hospital, Team Member
- Yael Smiley (she/her), Children’s National Hospital, Team Member
coaches
HBCU Wellness Collective
HBCU Wellness Collective
The HCBU Wellness Collective seeks to change the culture of sexual health and wellness on HBCU campuses. The Collective is a peer education program that seeks to empower HBCU students to make informed decisions about their sexual health, reduce the prevalence of HIV, STIs, unintended pregnancy, and relationship violence, and contribute to building healthier, more equitable communities on and off campuses.
the innovation
The HBCU Wellness Collective is a peer education program that aims to foster open conversations about sexual health, empower students to advocate for their needs, and reduce health disparities within HBCU communities. The program’s six pillars—student representation, comprehensive training, peer education networks, normalization of conversations, transformational impacts, and advocacy—work together to create a supportive and empowering environment for students.
why is this important to your team?
HBCU students experience higher rates of HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), unintended pregnancies, and relationship violence compared to their non-HBCU peers due to chronic underfunding and other systemic barriers. Through comprehensive training, skill development, and peer networks, the HBCU Collective empowers students to create culturally relevant programs that address the unique needs of their communities.
“Participating in the Breakthrough Accelerator will provide the HBCU Wellness Collective with the resources, mentorship, and funding to expand its reach to more HBCU campuses across the country, develop new partnerships with health care providers and community organizations, and conduct research to measure the program’s impact on student health outcomes.”
the team
The HBCU Wellness Collective team has over 30 years of combined experience in public health; HIV/AIDS counseling, policy, and advocacy; and domestic and global adolescent sexual and reproductive health.
- Vanessa Geffrard (she/her), VagEsteem, Founder and Chief Executive Officer
- Kimmy Sauer (she/her), Fearlessly Loving Yourself, Inc., Chief Operations Officer
- Lienna Feleke-Eshete (she/her), Idget Consulting, Chief Impact Officer
coaches
Stigma RPG
Stigma RPG
The Stigma Role Playing Game (RPG) empowers LGBTQ+ youth to make informed decisions about their sexual health by using gameplay to facilitate discussions on sex, sexuality, and stigma—topics LGBTQ+ youth rarely can explore with safe adults.
the innovation
Stigma RPG is a role-playing game in which participants combat “Stigma,” and engage with concepts like discussing consent and boundaries with partners, exploring healthy relationship patterns, and preventing disease and pregnancy during sexual activity. With trusted and knowledgeable adults as facilitators, Stigma RPG bridges the gap between marginalized youth and vital sexual health information.
why is this important to your team?
LGBTQ+ youth face systemic barriers to sexual and reproductive health education, including a lack of LGBTQ+ topics in school-based education, limited access to supportive spaces, and societal stigma surrounding non-heteronormative identities and behaviors. Stigma RPG combats this by providing a safe, engaging space for LGBTQ+ youth to explore sexual health concepts through a cognitive behavioral health intervention presented as a role-playing game.
“Breakthrough Accelerator will support our 3–5-year vision for implementing RPG across our region as a tool for LGBTQ+ sexual health education and stigma reduction by helping us foster partnerships with community organizations and health care providers.”
the team
With backgrounds in public health, exercise science, and mental health, each Stigma RPG team member has a history of engaging youth with creative approaches and using evidence-based programming to help LGBTQ+ youth build skills, reach goals, and improve their lives.
- Coley Alston (they/them), Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Project Lead
- Madison Baxter (she/her), Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Team Member
- Jay Yoder (they/them), Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation, Team Member
coaches
Up to Us
Up to Us
Up to Us provides culturally relevant and emotionally engaging sexual health education for justice system-impacted youth. It uses an entertainment-education model that centers narratives created by and for justice system-impacted and formerly incarcerated youth.
the innovation
Up to Us is a series of three fictional short films written by and for formerly incarcerated and justice system-impacted youth. The films are accompanied by interactive arts-based workshops facilitated by trained sexual health educators. The intervention is centered around three topics: identity and gender stereotypes, contraception and sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, and consent. The workshops use humor, creative activities, and collaborative discussion to encourage critical engagement with the film content and promote attitude and behavior change around the often-taboo topic of sexual health.
Instagram: @uclasexsquad
TikTok: @s3xsquaducla
why is this important to your team?
Although the State of California requires comprehensive sexual health education for all high schoolers, most programs in Los Angeles County still do not sufficiently account for the lived experiences of its youth—a majority of whom come from justice system-impacted communities. Additionally, juvenile incarceration rates in California are significantly higher than most states in the U.S., disrupting young people’s access to sexual health education and impacting their ability to form healthy intimate relationships throughout their lifetimes. Up to Us was designed as a solution to overcome the barriers that have prevented justice system-impacted youth from receiving the sexual health education they need and deserve.
“We want to work with Breakthrough Accelerator to bring Up to Us to more community organizations and reentry spaces, to high schools in the LA Unified School District and beyond, aiming to also reach a general television audience, on the model of successful programs such as Sex Education and East Los High.”
the team
This three-person team brings together an array of skills and expertise, including a human-centered approach to designing and implementing interventions. The team is comprised of practicing arts who incorporate the arts into their research methodologies and intervention work. They believe in the collaborative creation of knowledge and have lived experience navigating the justice system.
- Wilna Julmiste Taylor (she/her), UCLA Art & Global Health Center, Project Lead
- Amanda Giuliano (she/her), UCLA Art & Global Health Center, Research and Evaluation Manager
- Jai Williams (she/her), UCLA Prison Education Program, Project Manager
coaches