WHAT IS THE LAUNCH ACCELERATOR?
A 12-month program focused on helping the rapid development of innovations that impact disparities in youth sexual health.
About Launch
The program was established in 2023 and is made possible by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Population Affairs.
We aim to recruit five overlapping cohorts of innovators between 2024 and 2028, with the first cohort beginning in August 2024. We anticipate applications for cohort 2 will be available in January 2025.
What we believe
At Launch, we follow guiding principles to support innovation. We believe:
- Teens are able to make their own decisions about sexual and reproductive health (and they need medically accurate information and support).
- Teens and communities hold the solutions to challenges related to STIs and pregnancy prevention.
- A robust cohort approach to accelerating innovations will lead to more diverse innovations that can interact in a supportive way.
- Centering equity at all phases of the accelerator process will lead to acceptable, feasible and marketable innovations that will disrupt existing inequities in adolescent sexual health outcomes.
- Failures and opportunities for improvement will be actively sought out and incorporated within the accelerator over time.
- Innovation will thrive in a space that welcomes diverse ideas, embraces a culture of trying it out and supports sharing and collaboration across teams and partners.
Established for equity
The creators of Launch envision a future that ensures equitable sexual health outcomes for all youth. To this end, Launch centers equity in all of its activities. Launch is looking for diverse teams who are developing solutions that increase sexual health equity across all populations.
Launch will contribute to the pipeline of evidence-based interventions that are available for families, communities and schools to use to support young people and the adults in young people’s lives.
– Katy Suellentrop, RTI International
Collaborate to accelerate
Launch was created and is overseen by experts from the following organizations:
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world’s most critical problems with science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future.
Healthy Teen Network promotes better outcomes for adolescents and young adults by advancing social change, cultivating innovation, and strengthening youth-supporting professionals and organizations.
SisterLove, Inc., was founded in July of 1989. They began as a volunteer group of women interested in educating Atlanta, and especially communities of women, about HIV prevention, self-help and safer sex techniques.
Power to Decide envisions a world where everyone—no matter who they are or where they live—has control over their bodies and can decide if, when, and under what circumstances to get pregnant and have a child. Their mission is to advance sexual and reproductive well-being for all.
Youth Collaboratory harnesses the power of the youth services community to innovate, evaluate, and drive effective strategies that assure the safety and well-being of youth and young adults, unlocking their limitless potential.
Launch Faculty
Dr. Courtney Bonner (she/her)
Senior Manager and Research Psychologist at RTI International
Expertise: Sexual and Reproductive Health, Integrated Healthcare, Digital Provider Support Strategies, Behavioral Health, Biomedical HIV Prevention, Implementation Science
Dr. Felicia Browne (she/her)
Evaluation Lead at RTI International
Expertise: Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions, Health Disparities, mHealth, Social Determinants of Health, Adolescent Health
Brailey Faris (she/her)
Innovation Analyst at RTI Innovation Advisors
Expertise: Lab to Market/Commercialization, Facilitation, Human Centered Design
Dr. Kineka J. Hull (she/her)
Manager, Public Health at RTI International
Expertise: Sexual and Reproductive Health, Maternal and Child Health, Health Equity, Program Planning, Implementation, and Management, Community Organizing and Building, Community-Based Participatory Research, Instructional Technology, Adult Education, Training and Technical Assistance, Sexual Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention
Shwetha Maddur (she/her)
Innovation Advisor at RTI Innovation Advisors
Expertise: Medical Device Design and Development; Human Centered Design; Social Entrepreneurship
Katy Suellentrop (she/her)
Senior Program Manager at RTI International
Expertise: Adolescent Sexual Health
Elise Schuster (they/them)
Co-Founder and Executive Director at OkaySo
Expertise: Innovation, Youth Development, Sexuality Education
Aaron Plant (he/him/his)
Vice President at Sentient Research
Expertise: Program Development, Technology, Entertainment-Education, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
Sarah M. Axelson, DrPH(C), MSW (she/her/hers)
Senior Director, Innovation, Training, and Technical Assistance at Power to Decide
Expertise: Innovation, Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, Education and Training
Diamond Dumas (they/them)
Training & Capacity Building Manager at Youth Collaboratory
Expertise: Youth Housing Justice
Alison Poole White, LMSW (she/her/hers)
Program Director at SisterLove, Inc
Expertise: Social Work, Nonprofit Management
Milagros Garrido (she/they)
Director, Innovation & Research at Healthy Teen Network
Expertise: Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, Human-Centered Design