Cohort-Based Programs

• Participants join small, time-bound cohorts that offer a mix of guided exploration, hands-on workshops, feedback sessions, and reflection. Each cohort runs for approximately three months.

Focus on Public Value Creation

• We’re interested in ideas that create public value—not just products or services, but ventures that improve community well-being, expand civic engagement, or solve public problems in new ways.

Emphasis on Early-Stage Formation

• We specialize in pre-seed incubation. This is the space before funding, before incorporation—where ideas take form and clarity. We support experimentation with new models, including co-ops, mutual aid networks, revenue-generating nonprofits, and other nontraditional forms.

Creative Pathways to Sustainability

• We help you explore alternative funding models—from sliding scale service models to membership, sponsorship, or hybrid approaches—to build resilience and long-term impact from the ground up.

Community-Powered Approach

• Everything we do is rooted in community. We believe peer accountability, shared learning, and collective insight are powerful forces that help early-stage ideas survive and grow. That’s why participants stay connected through alumni networks, feedback circles, and shared challenges long after the incubator ends.

The Public Value Lab is not just a place to test ideas—it’s a community for people who still believe in public service, even outside the bounds of traditional institutions. If you’re driven by public purpose and looking for a starting point, we’re here to help you build it.