Congratulations on receiving the Audience Choice Award at Demo Day! What was your reaction when you heard your team name announced?
Brittany: We were honestly shocked and humbled. In that moment, all the late nights, planning sessions, and hard conversations had been seen and valued. Hearing our name called confirmed that people not only believed in our work but also connected with our vision. It was both exciting and deeply affirming.
Rena: Surprised and validated. We know how powerful and impactful our program is, to hear that other people believe in it too is confirmation our work is meaningful.
Mallory: Surprised, but extremely proud. It felt great to have hard work noticed and celebrated with other teams. I really loved seeing the camaraderie.
Damion: My reaction was joy and a bit of shock. Each team did an amazing job. To win the Audience Choice Award was a delight as it meant that our vision and the need we were addressing was seen and heard outside of our team. It felt validating.
Can you share something unexpected you are taking away from your time in Launch?
Brittany: What surprised us most was how much we had to learn about the business side of developing a curriculum and mentoring program. As “public health nerds,” we came in focused on the science. We were thinking about how to measure impact, secure funding for a rigorous evaluation, and analyze outcomes. We hadn’t considered how we could build the business model and evaluation side by side.
Through Launch, we saw that it’s not either/or. We already have promising preliminary data; for example, 98% of young men surveyed after participating in the program reported they were more likely to seek reproductive health services, 96% said they would recommend the program to a friend, and 90% shared they were more likely to have conversations about sex with a partner or trusted adult. Realizing that we can leverage this early data while also preparing for market growth has been a game-changer for us.
Katrina: Something unexpected that I am taking away from Launch was the opportunity to network with the other Launch teams. I think that all the teams had such unique innovations, and many are outside of the scope of our work. We built connections and opportunities to collaborate on doing work for youth in the community.
I believe that our team experienced an area of growth in how we talk about our program. Before Launch, we spoke about the emPOWERing K.I.N.G.S. program mainly through a public health lens. This process allowed us to learn and talk about the business aspect when we describe our innovation.
What do you think your team’s biggest strength is? Were you able to share this strength or area of knowledge with others through Launch?
Brittany: Our strength is twofold: We design with community at the center, and we’ve stayed true to the mission behind K.I.N.G.S. During Launch, we were able to share that approach with others in the cohort, showing how co-creation not only builds trust but also makes solutions more sustainable and relevant. We also stood firm on our mission, knowing we were answering a specific need in our community—even when we were questioned about why the program isn’t for all young men.
Mallory: I think our team’s biggest strength during Launch was the motivation to continue learning about innovation and processes, as well as testing our program as much as it takes to revise to the cultural needs of the population we are serving.
Damion: I think our team’s biggest strength is our diverse backgrounds, knowledge, and skillsets, which played a pivotal role in the development of K.I.N.G.S. and building community relationships while researching for and piloting the program. We were able to share this strength when discussing community involvement with other teams.
Rena: Our strength is the community behind us. We knew that our drive and passion for wanting to go far in Launch was to benefit all the potential young people we can reach.
Katrina: I think that our team’s biggest strength was adaptability. We managed to adjust to many changes to both the business model and the actual curriculum during the Launch process. We received a lot of feedback and worked through the challenges that came from learning different aspects of business.
What are your plans for the future of EmPOWERing K.I.N.G.S., and has that vision changed at all from when you began the Launch program?
Brittany: We’re finishing our second round of piloting after adding five new lessons based on feedback from the first pilot. While piloting continues, we’re focused on building a stronger marketing plan and conducting a thorough analysis of youth-serving organizations nationwide that provide mentoring or programs for young Black males, which will help us refine our business plan.
We’re also awaiting our provisional trademark to make final revisions, secure the trademark, and package the program. Our vision has evolved since starting Launch. We’re no longer focused solely on rigorous evaluation; we’re also preparing to bring the program to market while continuing to measure impact. As we move toward expansion, we welcome connections with funders, partners, or organizations interested in supporting programs that empower young Black men.
What advice would you give to teams who are considering applying to future cohorts of Launch?
Brittany: Please don’t come in thinking you have to have it all figured out. Launch is designed to help you see your blind spots and push you to refine your idea in unexpected ways. That said, it helps to come in with a plan, know where you want to take your prototype, and what you hope to accomplish during your time in the program.
As you work through the activities, meet regularly with your coaches, collaborate with subject matter experts, and connect with other IDTs. Having that north star keeps you focused, and leaning into feedback and collaboration will help you grow your idea in ways you couldn’t do alone.
At the same time, stay true to the mission that inspired your innovation in the first place. The true essence of design thinking is keeping the needs of your end user at the center, so be flexible and open to pivoting, but don’t lose sight of why you created your solution in the first place.
Mallory: Be open to learning all parts of Launch, even when it is information you never thought you would think of. Have honest and open communication with your coach and other members, as this helped shape our time with Launch.
Damion: Be adaptable and flexible, listen to all feedback and apply it where feasible to help amplify your innovation as well as being able to handle constructive criticism and opinions.
Rena: Don’t let the feedback steer you away from what you know is true about you and the community you are working to serve with your innovation.
Katrina: The advice that I would give to other teams who are considering applying to future cohorts of Launch is to come into the process with an open mind and be willing to change aspects of your program to get the most out of the process. Making changes will sometimes allow you to go back to the beginning and work your way back through.