We Made This For You

Innovation Compass is a project developed in collaboration with undercapitalized innovators deploying science and technology. The work was supported by funding from the National Science Foundation (Award #2331195).

Learning how to navigate the innovation ecosystem is overwhelming and complex. Innovation Compass is your guide to the intricate process of developing the fundamental capacities needed to gain confidence in taking the next step of your innovation journey.

Content You Can Trust

The content and features of the platform were conceptualized based on interviews conducted by researcher-designers at the Public Policy Lab with 21 innovators and 25 subject-matter experts across the United States. They were further developed through co-design with 15 undercapitalized innovators and tested and iterated through a pilot with 25 more. The result: the needs and supports that Innovation Compass focuses on were identified and addressed by people who have been on this journey before and faced the same range of challenges.

A Framework for Growth

A 12-building block framework organizes the 40 practices and 200+ resources to help innovators navigate the innovation ecosystem. The concept of this foundational framework originated from Juliette Adams, founder of ConstructEd Studio and Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, whose work focuses on helping future leaders innovate for impact and sustain impact at the right scale. One of the framework’s key aims is addressing funders’ increasing priority for innovations and innovators not only possessing the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, but also a strong understanding of, intention toward, and connection to their community of impact and to the innovation ecosystem overall. The framework was iterated through a five-month co-design process with undercapitalized innovators. It has been validated by funders, mentors, and innovator support organizations. 

Download a one-page overview of the framework here.

Actionable and Vetted Steps

The 40 practices and 200+ resources provide bite-sized actions that can stretch you or your team’s knowledge and nurture your confidence with each of the building blocks.

A Personalized Innovation Compass

The Compass Quiz and its results page offer an opportunity to reflect on your progress within the 12-building block framework and to identify and prioritize what practices to focus your energy on next. 

The Team

Innovators 

Innovation Compass is the product of extensive collaboration with 46 undercapitalized innovators recruited from 24 U.S. states and territories. Innovators rigorously tested and provided critical feedback on prototypes and minimum viable products, helping to refine content, features, design, language, and structure. Their identities will remain anonymous until 2026. The Public Policy Lab deeply appreciates their contributions. 

Public Policy Lab

Advisory Committee

Web Development

Special thanks to Make Repeat for the development of the Innovation Compass quiz.

The Public Policy Lab (PPL) is a nonprofit innovation lab for the public sector. We tackle challenges facing Americans who don't have much money or access by using human-centered methods from design, social science, and technology development.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.

If you would like to learn more about our research approach, review our case study. 

Contact us with any questions or comments at: compass@publicpolicylab.org