It’s challenging to innovate for tomorrow and meet the mission-critical needs of today.
Leaders know the big problems holding back their industry that need solutions.
Yet you are often not resourced to initiate, scale, or maintain full-blown innovation efforts. Even if you are fairly well resourced you may wonder whether its best for your department or organization to go it alone?
That’s why we built the Quantified Ventures Solution Studio.
We curate a dynamic, interactive process that leverages cross-sector expertise to innovate from the problem out. The key ingredients to our solution development process are:
Get the right blend of people committed to a rigorous, proven methodology
Be open to whether the final solution should be a financial, tech, data, or advocacy solution
Be agnostic as to whether the final solution takes the form of a new company, a new nonprofit, a new service, a new product, etc.
Our work unfolds in three stages, typically during the course of 9-12 months:
Stage 1:
Design Solutions
Collaboratively sharpen the problem
Ideate and test solutions with experts and customers
Iterate and winnow down possible solutions
Prepare sharp set of possible solutions for shark tank #1
Stage 2:
Build Prototype
Select solution for further analysis and development
Create solution prototype, then demo, iterate, re-test prototype
Develop capitalization plan; engage experts and founding team
Prepare solution prototype for shark tank #2
Stage 3:
Go To Market
Refine prototype
Additional market testing
Go-to-market plan
Capitalize and launch with founding team
Quantified Ventures has launched a half dozen high-impact, investable, and scalable solutions during the past few years. Learn more about the making of these solutions, our partners, and the solution impact.
Problem: There are 54M Americans over age 65, and 90% of them prefer to continue living in their own homes instead of moving into a senior living community. This means foregoing the expertise and services that come with those communities and, instead, coordinating daily needs like home maintenance, transportation, and meal preparation on their own through a potpourri of providers.
Solution: A new company (called Dorvie) that provides peace of mind and support for retirees and their families by delivering predictable and proactive concierge-based amenities – including home services, local experiences, and wellness offerings. Quantified Ventures partnered with executives from 13 of the largest non-profit aging services providers around the country to understand the market forces at play, develop a tech-enabled solution, and raise seed funding to launch a startup to revolutionize aging services for independent living.
Problem: Rural communities are facing tough financial times and searching for new ideas to breathe life into their local economy. Natural assets (e.g., forests, rivers, lakes, parks) can be developed into recreation destinations to diversify the economy, but this requires up-front investments in people, plans, and partnerships that most rural communities are not resourced to make.
Solution: The cities and towns of southeast Ohio are seeing a surge in visitors, tourist revenue, new jobs, and investments in local businesses thanks to the economic growth brought by the Baileys Trail System, an 88-mile premier mountain biking trail in the Wayne National Forest. Our pay-for-performance financing framework that blends economic development principles with outdoor recreation asset development has spurred cross-jurisdiction collaboration, attracted $11MM+ in funding and financing, and built local capacity to take advantage of future opportunities.
Problem: Government leaders face a common challenge with infrastructure projects: choose the business-as-usual approach or choose innovation, which may create better outcomes. Because it’s tested, the rational choice is typically business-as-usual, leaving innovation on the sidelines. Take Washington, DC’s combined sewer system, which needed upgrades to manage a growing population and increasingly severe storms that caused environmental damage to rivers and health risks for residents.
Solution: Quantified Ventures designed the first Environmental Impact Bond to make innovation the rational choice – in this case financing new green space to soak up more of the problematic stormwater. If it worked as predicted, DC would pay the investors back like a normal bond. If it didn’t, investors would absorb some of the cost, minimizing the risk. This new way for governments to pay for riskier projects connects project performance directly to the bond buyers’ return on investment so investors win when the city wins.
Problem: When individuals experiencing homelessness are discharged from the hospital, they often have limited options – and nearly 75% of these individuals end up in a shelter or on the streets. Many return quickly to the hospital or emergency room, creating an expensive cycle of declining health.
Solution: Value-based contracts with local Medicaid managed care organizations put Volunteers of America on a path to double Washington, DC’s capacity for the specialized housing solution called medical respite that aides individuals experiencing homelessness. This proven solution drives improved health and social outcomes for patients at materially reduced costs.
Problem: Demand for services from community-based organizations is increasing and is only amplified during public health emergencies, economic crises, and spikes in substance use and overdoses. But these organizations are already severely constrained – working overtime to try to meet the current economic, health, housing, training, and social needs of the at-risk people they serve.
Solution: A first-of-a-kind loan fund that non-profit service providers can use to increase service provider capacity to address the health-related needs of more people. The fund is initially focused on expanding a program that supports pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorder through comprehensive residential, outpatient, and community-based-services – allowing children to stay with their mothers. This fund is paired with efforts to build more reliable and sustainable revenue for community-based organizations through value-based contracts with Medicaid health plans – giving Medicaid health plans a vehicle to pay for what works and what improves member health.
Problem: Despite the benefits of regenerative farming practices – like reducing and removing greenhouse gases and harmful chemical runoff into waterways; improving biodiversity; and producing healthy, resilient, and productive soil – adoption rates remain low across the US. New practices often mean new costs and a perception of new risks, and farmers need incentives to participate.
Solution: The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund, which pays farmers to profitably implement regenerative practices with easy enrollment, an expert agronomy staff, and payments generated by sales of greenhouse gas emission reductions and water quality outcomes. Nearly 200,000 acres of farmland across 12 states has implemented these practices, unlocking $3.5 million+ in payments, preventing 2 million+ pounds of nitrogen and phosphorus from contaminating waterways, and sequestering carbon dioxide equivalent to eliminating 25,000 cars for a year. Recent awards from the USDA put the fund on track to grow to 5 million acres across 27 states.
There are four primary ways the Solution Studio differs from other incubators, accelerators, or a homegrown innovation program.
Experiential Innovation
Our track record of producing innovative solutions in the environment, health, and social sectors helps us understand the macro forces and nuances of the fields in which our Solution Studio participants operate. Each Studio cohort selects a critical problem in their sectors, and together – as a team of C-Suite leaders, subject matter experts, and cross-sector “doers” – we co-develop an innovative solution in real time. Participants are immersed in the process of rapid and real-time building, testing, and learning, without needing to be responsible for any more deliverables and outcomes than you already have on their plates.
Launchpad for Success
Each Studio cohort is paired with an action-oriented development team that takes on the work of market research, prototyping, and market testing – in addition to engaging and drawing inspiration from our network of cross-sector experts to help design and capitalize whatever solution results. We take a solutions before staffing approach – first, we collaboratively develop the right solution, then we find the right team to take the solution to market.
Crossing Boundaries and Silos
We know that innovation is risky, so we choose not to go-it-alone. By developing an innovative solution as a cohort, we break down constraining silos across the public and private sectors, allowing us to bring new perspectives to old problems and the resources needed to create, iterate on, and launch the right solution – whether it’s a new program, product, team, or company. Our focus on putting resources behind these early-stage solutions means that you aren’t asked to make this commitment to innovation on your own.
Power of Purpose
We are launching impact-first companies and solutions. We initiate each Studio cohort for the beneficial outcomes a new solution might provide. Quantified Ventures is a B Corporation that believes in good business, and in doing good for people and planet. We are focused on working with and creating value for mission-driven organizations and enterprises.
