Luminary Labs

Learn how 100+ leading organizations are using open innovation to stay at the forefront: We are delighted to share the State of Open Innovation 2023 — a follow-up to our inaugural 2018 report — which looks at how open innovation is empowering leaders to go beyond the obvious.

Open innovation plays an important role in business, government, and society: solving global challenges, accelerating product development, and stimulating new markets. The new report examines open innovation’s current role in organizations, identifies shifts and trends, and looks at what the future might hold.

Download the 2023 report for 50+ pages of analysis and benchmarks — including insights from open innovation leaders at AstraZeneca, Bayer, Solve - MIT, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Siegel Family Endowment, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the University of Chicago, and the Walton Family Foundation

luminary-labs.com/insight/state-of-open-innovation-2023/

State of Open Innovation 2023 | Luminary Labs 100+ leading organizations across 20+ industries offer fresh perspectives on designing programs, developing partnerships, and measuring outcomes.

This week’s Lab Report: Top 10 takeaways from HLTH.

The Luminary Labs team has just returned from , where we hosted conversations on leadership in the age of AI, transformative open innovation programs, and the future of health. LL CEO Sara Holoubek, Director Ben Alsdurf, and Engagement Manager Natalia Allen are back from Las Vegas with fresh insights: Check out the takeaways for more on “radical collaboration,” announcements from Massachusetts General Hospital and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and candid talk about AI and humanity.

Also in this week’s newsletter: carbon capture, needle-free drug delivery, and the Defense Department’s schools.

Read and subscribe:

Lab Report: Top 10 takeaways from HLTH Issue no. 288 — Fresh insights into the future of health. Plus: carbon capture, needle-free drug delivery, and the Defense Department’s schools.

This week’s Lab Report: Developing education ecosystems. and the Accelerator are helping strengthen America’s cyber workforce.

October is the 20th anniversary of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaborative effort between government and industry to enhance cybersecurity awareness, and Cybersecurity Career Week begins on Monday, October 16. Over the past two decades, the federal government has recognized that “people are a crucial element of cyberspace and a strong workforce is key to securing cyberspace.”

Through teacher professional development programs such as CTE CyberNet and the Middle Grades CTE Accelerator, Luminary Labs has helped communities across the country implement localized approaches to expanding and supporting cyber education ecosystems. Our input helped inform the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy; released earlier this year, the White House strategy details how our nation will “strengthen our cyber workforce, connect people to well-paying, quality jobs, and advance the welfare, prosperity, and security of our society.”

This week’s Lab Report looks at how the U.S. Department of Education is collaborating with other federal agencies to increase the number of career and technical education (CTE) teachers who can effectively prepare students for cybersecurity education and careers.

Also in this week’s newsletter: stormwater struggles, 15-minute meetings, and Earth’s eighth continent. Read and subscribe: https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/10-05-2023

Lab Report: Developing cybersecurity education ecosystems Issue no. 287 — Two initiatives are helping strengthen America’s cyber workforce. Plus: stormwater struggles, 15-minute meetings, and Earth's eighth continent.

This week’s Lab Report: Will we see you at ?

We are heading to HLTH, an annual event focused on health innovation and transformation. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new connections. This year, we’re also contributing to on-stage conversations by organizing two panel discussions:

Elevating humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. Luminary Labs CEO Sara Holoubek will moderate a networking breakfast discussion with Dr. Sachin Jain from SCAN Group & Health Plan, Dr. David Rhew from Microsoft, and Tina Shah from Abridge as part of HLTH’s Transformative Health Leaders programs.
Mission Daybreak winner showcase. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced the winners of Mission Daybreak, a $20 million grand challenge to reduce Veteran su***des. Hear directly from the VA leaders behind this program, meet the winning teams, and learn more about the challenge — which was designed and produced by Luminary Labs through a contract with Capital Consulting Corporation. Speakers include Dr. Amanda Lienau from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Risa Weisberg from BehaVR, David Black from Even Health, Christopher Molaro from Neuroflow, Sam Dorison from ReflexAI, and Shruti Gurudanti from televëda.

Also in this week’s newsletter: resilience, phone etiquette, and . Read and subscribe:

Lab Report: Will we see you at HLTH? Issue no. 286 — Join us for conversations about the future of health. Plus: climate resilience, phone etiquette, and tuberculosis.

This week’s Lab Report: Fall 2023 team announcements

We’re thrilled to celebrate a recent promotion and introduce you to three new members of our team. Please help us congratulate Natalia Allen on her promotion to the role of Engagement Manager. And say hello to Anna Pierce, Bernadette Dossett, and Ellie Kiernan, who have all recently joined Luminary Labs.

Luminary Labs engagements span a broad cross section of topics across four focus areas: the future of work and education, the future of health, scientific discovery, and infrastructure. Behind all of this work is a team of smart, thoughtful people who help clients place big bets and launch groundbreaking initiatives. If you are inspired by who we are and how we work, please check out several new opportunities to be part of our growing team: https://www.luminary-labs.com/careers/

Also in this week’s newsletter: brain function, honeybees, and supercontinents. Read and subscribe: https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/09-22-2023

Lab Report: Fall 2023 team announcements Issue no. 285 — LL celebrates a recent promotion and three new hires. Plus: brain function, honeybees, and supercontinents.

This week’s Lab Report: The U.S. Department of Education announces grand-prize winner in the $600,000 .

No matter where they want to work or what they want to do, today’s high school students will need advanced technology skills. One-third of American schools are located in rural areas, and skills-based distance learning can help create opportunities in underserved communities. But Every community is different; rural schools need opportunities and support to design programs based on what they know will work best for their students.

This week, the U.S. Department of Education announced Woodlake High School (Woodlake Unified School District) as the grand-prize winner in the Rural Tech Project, a $600,000 challenge to advance technology education in rural high schools.

Also in this newsletter: chronic fatigue syndrome, grandparent leave, and . Read and subscribe at

Lab Report: Rural Tech Project announces grand-prize winner Issue no. 284 — California high school is advancing rural technology education. Plus: chronic fatigue syndrome, grandparent leave, and ecovillages.

We’re working on a number of initiatives with world-changing potential and we’re hiring strategy and innovation consultants who want to be a part of our high-performance, high-impact team in New York.

If you are inspired by who we are and how we work, please check out several new opportunities to be part of our growing team: https://www.luminary-labs.com/careers/

We’ve also put together answers to the most frequently asked questions our team receives from candidates to provide more information to interested candidates: https://www.luminary-labs.com/faqs-for-future-luminaries/

Looking for more behind-the-scenes details? Our “ask me anything” video series features live, virtual conversations with Luminaries, offering an inside look at a range of topics. New members of our team often mention that these videos were helpful to them during the application and interview process: https://www.youtube.com/-Labs/videos

Please help us spread the word — share these job openings with someone you know.

Luminary Labs - YouTube Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

This week’s Lab Report: Join a team working on problems that matter.

If you’ve been following our work, you may have noticed that Luminary Labs is growing. We’re working on a number of initiatives with world-changing potential, and we’re hiring strategy and innovation consultants who want to be a part of our high-performance, high-impact team in New York.

We often receive messages from job seekers who are considering applying for an open role at Luminary Labs, but can’t always reply to each person who reaches out via LinkedIn or other channels. So we’re sharing our answers to the most frequently asked questions our team receives from candidates.

Also in this week’s newsletter: automated insulin delivery, market-shaping efforts, and occupational desegregation. Read and subscribe at https://www.luminary-labs.com/faqs-for-future-luminaries/

FAQs for future Luminaries Join the team working on problems that matter.

Two more days for 2024 SXSW PanelPicker voting.

Help send our team to Austin by voting for one or more of our sessions below:

How open innovation can solve 21st-century health problems, led by Luminary Labs CEO Sara Holoubek with panelists from Takeda, Northwell Health, and CareQuest Innovation Partners.

Catalyzing collaboration and community to prevent su***de, led by Director Ben Alsdurf with panelists from Veterans Health Administration, Televeda, and ReflexAI.

Centering place and people in education infrastructure, led by Engagement Manager Logan Cummings with panelists from Siegel Family Endowment and Walton Family Foundation.

Space skills for careers on Earth, led by Engagement Manager Natalia Allen with panelists from NASA, the National Space Council, and the University of Central Florida.

Reading between the lines: The case for adult education, led by Director Eden Baker with panelists from the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy and World Ed.

PanelPicker community voting closes Sunday, 8/20. Learn more about our session proposals, and see a curated list of additional picks from our extended network:

Our picks for SXSW 2024 Help us bring important conversations to SXSW Interactive and SXSW EDU.

This week’s Lab Report: Meet the second cohort of Junior Associates bringing fresh perspectives to Luminary Labs.

In 2022, we launched our inaugural work-based learning program, welcoming two part-time Junior Associates to the team. This summer, we are once again working directly with local high schools to employ two CTE (career and technical education) students to support our work with the U.S. Department of Education.

Also in this week’s newsletter: , , and .

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Lab Report: Summer 2023 team announcements Issue no. 280 — Meet our second cohort of Junior Associates. Plus: fungi, demographic shifts, and spatial biology.

This week’s Lab Report: Three ideas for unlocking equitable progress through hardware and software.

Last month, Luminary Labs Senior Director Jon Roberts joined a diverse group of federal, nonprofit, and private-sector experts in Washington, D.C., for an “Open Source for Open Science” roundtable hosted by the Wilson Center Science and Technology Innovation Program and the Open Science Hardware Foundation.

The roundtable explored how open source software and hardware can advance open science — and what actors across ecosystems must do to realize that potential. Jon curated three big ideas, in particular, that deeply resonate with our work at the intersection of science, infrastructure, and .
Also in this week’s newsletter: underground , short texts, and the third .

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Lab Report: Open source for science and society Issue no. 279 — Unlocking equitable progress through open science hardware and software. Plus: underground climate change, short texts, and the third digital divide.

This week’s Lab Report: Real talk and resources on for curious skeptics, thoughtful innovators, and future-ready leaders. We need more big-picture conversations about what we value, how we want to benefit, and what level of risk we can tolerate. We also need more leaders who understand emerging technology and how it may impact daily life, including how we work. With this in mind, we’re starting with the basics: defining GPT and exploring new tools like .

Also in the latest newsletter: resilient energy, mosquito soap, and AI-powered astronomy.

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Lab Report: Prompts and provocations Issue no. 272 — Generative AI and the future of work. Plus: resilient energy, mosquito soap, and AI-powered astronomy.

This week’s Lab Report: Advancing next-generation Lyme disease diagnostics.

May is . This year, the LymeX Innovation Accelerator ( ), a partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, is marking the occasion by recognizing the 10 teams participating in Phase 2 of the LymeX Diagnostics Prize. The ultimate goal of the multiphase competition is to nurture the development of diagnostics toward Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review.

In this week’s Lab Report, the Phase 2 teams share more about their unique approaches and how their new solutions may improve treatment and spur new discoveries.

Also in our latest newsletter: sloth microbes, tardigrade genes, and brain decoders. Read and subscribe at

Lab Report: Advancing next-gen Lyme disease diagnostics Issue no. 271 — How 10 innovator teams are meeting an urgent need for better Lyme disease testing. Plus: sloth microbes, tardigrade genes, and brain decoders.

This week’s Lab Report:

Earlier this year, Luminary Labs CEO Sara Holoubek interviewed leaders at organizations such as Aetna, Boston Children’s Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, and StartUp Health to find out why they’re investing in people, technology, and systems. The full story, originally published in MM+M Magazine, is now available on the Luminary Labs website.

Also in our latest newsletter: space tourism, honeybee data, and ice cream studies. Read and subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/04-20-2023

Lab Report: 5 health investments to make in the year ahead Issue no. 269 — Leaders explain why they’re prioritizing people, technology, and real systemic change. Plus: space tourism, honeybee data, and ice cream studies.

This week’s Lab Report: U.S. Department of Education launches the Challenge to connect high school students with space careers.

This is the first challenge in , an annual challenge series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to . The Your Place in Space Challenge, designed and produced by Luminary Labs, invites high schools to submit designs for a product or service that will contribute to space missions and exploration.

Also in this week’s newsletter: transplant networks, airport terminals, and downtown housing. Read and subscribe today at

Lab Report: Connecting students with space careers Issue no. 265 — Just launched: the Your Place in Space Challenge. Plus: transplant networks, airport terminals, and downtown housing.

Luminary Labs in the news:

The Hechinger Report recently interviewed Senior Director Jon Roberts and Senior Open Innovation Associate Lisa Marie Pierre about the US. Department of Education’s CTE CyberNet, a national cybersecurity teacher professional development initiative designed and managed by Luminary Labs.

Initiatives like CTE CyberNet don’t only expand access for teachers — they also bring opportunities to students. CTE is open to all learners; students who might not otherwise have been on a pathway to this high-demand occupation may now be able to enter the workforce or go on to study cybersecurity in college.

Read more:

Inside a growing federal effort to prepare students for cybersecurity careers CTE CyberNet, launched by the Department of Education, trains teachers how to start cybersecurity programs at their schools

Hello, future Luminary: We’re hiring for a remote, contract opening.

We’re looking for a freelance UX Designer to support ongoing improvements to Luminary Lightbox, our proprietary challenge management software. This is a remote, part-time engagement (2-3 days per week for 4 weeks), with the potential for longer-term contract work.

Does this sound like you or someone you know? Learn more about the role: https://www.luminary-labs.com/opening/freelance-ux-designer/

Freelance UX Designer | Luminary Labs Luminary Labs seeks a freelance UX Designer to support ongoing improvements to Luminary Lightbox, our proprietary challenge management software.

This week’s Lab Report: U.S. Department of Education announced five finalists for the $1 million Challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners.

Although there are a growing number of digital career navigation tools for professionals and higher education students, few are designed specifically for adult learners. The U.S. Department of Education’s Future Finder Challenge, a $1 million challenge to reimagine career navigation for adult learners, is bringing much-needed collaboration and innovation to adult edtech.

The finalists will receive $50,000 each to support the development of their prototype tools and will participate in a virtual accelerator, which offers six months of intensive technical assistance to further develop their products. Meet the finalists:

New edtech prototypes support career navigation for adult learners U.S. Department of Education announces five finalists in the Future Finder Challenge.

Luminary Labs invited healthcare executives to participate in a simple end-of-year survey focused on just one question: “What's the one thing every healthcare leader should invest in next year (2023) to prepare for 2025?”

The survey received 101 responses from decision-makers at 77 different organizations — including and , and technology, providers, startups, investors, professional services, and payers.

The Health 2025 report features our analysis of survey responses, as well as insights from leaders at Aetna, Boston Children’s Hospital, Johnson & Johnson, StartUp Health, and more.

Download the full report to find out how executives are prioritizing investments in people, technology — and real systemic change:

Health 2025: Investing in people, technology, and real systemic change Insights and analysis from a survey of 101 health executives.

Join us for a virtual “ask me anything” with Luminary Labs Design Manager Winnie Chang on Friday 3/3 at 12:15 p.m. EDT.

Winnie will be answering frequently asked questions about the Design & Insights team — from how we define within innovation, how Luminary Labs designers collaborate with other teams, and what she enjoys most about her work at Luminary Labs.

Register and submit your questions below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XvmGZ6GBRWOXRgVY8o8g2Q

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: AMA with Winnie Chang. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Join us for a virtual “ask me anything” with Luminary Labs Design Manager Winnie Chang on Friday, March 3 at 12:15 p.m. EDT. She will be answering frequently asked questions about the Design & Insights team — from how we define design within innovation, how Luminary Labs designers collaborate ...

This week’s Lab Report: U.S. Department of Education launches CTE Momentum. Plus: vertical farms, AI in education, and data privacy.

is an annual challenge series to prepare high school students for rewarding careers and increase access to career and technical education (CTE). Each school year, the Department will invite educators and high school students to participate in a new challenge focused on a topic of national importance.

By expanding access to , high schools can equip more students with the skills they need to identify and enter in-demand careers with pathways for advancement.

Read and subscribe at https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/02-16-2023

Lab Report: Increasing access to CTE Issue no. 260 — U.S. Department of Education launches CTE Momentum, a new annual challenge series. Plus: vertical farms, AI in education, and data privacy.

ICYMI: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Cohen Foundation announced the launch of Phase 2 of the .

Learn how the virtual will help teams refine their concepts for detecting active disease infections in people. Phase 2 is part of this multiyear, multiphase LymeX Diagnostics Prize series; the goal of the competition is to nurture the development of Lyme disease diagnostics toward Food and Drug Administration review..

https://www.luminary-labs.com/lymex-diagnostics-prize-launches-phase-2-accelerator/

LymeX Diagnostics Prize launches Phase 2 accelerator | Luminary Labs Phase 1 winners will receive resources and mentorship to nurture development of diagnostics toward FDA review.

This week’s Lab Report: The Luminary Labs team is heading to SXSW EDU.

We’ve organized our own session on Tuesday, March 7 to share the story behind , a national cybersecurity professional development initiative designed and managed by Luminary Labs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education.

Also in this week’s newsletter: old runescapes, digital skills gaps, and biotech incubators.

Read and subscribe — and connect with us when we’re in Austin:

Lab Report: Will we see you at SXSW EDU? Issue no. 258 — Join us for a panel discussion on cybersecurity education. Plus: old runescapes, digital skills gaps, and biotech incubators.

This week’s Lab Report: A crowdsourced list of must-attend events.

Conferences are alive and well — even if the dynamics have shifted. Check out our updated list of conferences, organized by topic: future of work and education, future of health, scientific discovery, and infrastructure, as well as futurism, technology, and innovation .

Plus: cellular glue, cheesy benefits, and unsustainable business models.

Read and subscribe today at

Lab Report: 2023 conferences Issue no. 255 — A crowdsourced list of must-attend events. Plus: cellular glue, cheesy benefits, and unsustainable business models.

This week's Lab Report: Celebrating 2022 highlights and three recent promotions.

2022 was a big year at Luminary Labs. This week, we’re sharing a few highlights and celebrating three recent promotions: Eden Baker is now Director, Mercedes de Guardiola is now Communications Manager, and Logan Cummings is now Engagement Manager.

Plus: AI crime, coffee scarcity, and musical animals. Read and subscribe today at

Lab Report: The year behind and the year ahead Issue no. 254 — Celebrating 2022 highlights and three recent promotions. Plus: AI crime, coffee scarcity, and musical animals.

This week’s Lab Report: Advancing interventions to improve math achievement.

Last week, the Institute of Education Sciences announced finalists in the IES Learning Acceleration Challenges: Math Prize. The challenge called for school-based, digital interventions to significantly improve math outcomes, especially in the area of fractions, for upper elementary school students with or at risk for a disability that affects math.

Plus: innovation hubs, AI writers, and adapting to Alzheimer’s.

Read and subscribe: https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/12-08-2022
This week’s Lab Report: Advancing interventions to improve math achievement.

Last week, the Institute of Education Sciences announced finalists in the IES Learning Acceleration Challenges: Math Prize. The challenge called for school-based, digital interventions to significantly improve math outcomes, especially in the area of fractions, for upper elementary school students with or at risk for a disability that affects math.

Plus: innovation hubs, AI writers, and adapting to Alzheimer’s.

Read and subscribe: https://mailchi.mp/luminary-labs/12-08-2022

Lab Report: IES announces Learning Acceleration Challenges finalists Issue no. 252 — Advancing interventions to improve math achievement. Plus: innovation hubs, AI writers, and adapting to Alzheimer’s.

This week’s Lab Report: Design is not optional.

We’re sharing a curated list of our writing on design and a few examples of our Design & Insights team’s latest work. Plus: AI Thanksgiving recipes, co****le scandals, and “stresslaxation.”

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Lab Report: Design is not optional Issue no. 250 — How we use design to tackle thorny problems and build more desirable futures. Plus: AI Thanksgiving recipes, co****le scandals, and “stresslaxation.”