Where bold ideas become stronger together.

Plan for about 30 hours total across the program, roughly 7 to 10 hours a month, split between cohort time and independent work.

Participation in full-cohort sessions is required. Please confirm your availability before registering, or consider a future cohort if the dates don't work for you.

We'll set clear guardrails for when your independent work needs to be completed, but you'll have flexibility in how you get there: daily, a few sessions a week, or longer blocks when your schedule allows.

Upon successful completion of the program, you will earn a certificate of completion. Certificate holders are eligible to apply for an experimentation grant immediately following the cohort to put their learning into practice:

• • Participants applying under an existing 501(c)(3) or fiscally sponsored project are eligible for a $3,000 grant.
  • Participants applying without 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsorship status are eligible for a $1,500 grant.
  • Only one grant will be awarded per organization, regardless of how many team members participate.

You’ll also join the UpStarter Community, UpStart's connective ecosystem of leaders and innovators. The UpStart Team offers ongoing gatherings, mentorship, and curated resources to support you as you keep building.

What happens next depends on where your idea is by the end of the program. UpLift helps you figure that out. Some ideas are ready to move into a future UpStart program, while others need more time or a different kind of support.

Yes! You’re welcome to bring a colleague and participate together as a team. Each of you registers and pays individually, and your mentorship and grant eligibility will be shared as a team.

Not at all. UpLift: Innovators is for anyone with a bold idea, whether or not that idea is housed within an existing organization. All you need is the seed of an idea you want to explore. There's no business model or tax status required to participate. (See grant eligibility above for how tax status affects grant amount.)

UpLift: Innovators is open to prior UpStart program participants, including past UpLift cohorts. It's a brand-new offering grounded in UpStart's signature human-centered innovation methodology, built to explore and test a new idea in real time. Some of the tools may feel familiar if you've engaged with UpStart before, but applying them to your specific idea will be a new experience every time.

To be the right fit, you need a new idea you're bringing to develop, whether it's for your work at your existing organization or entirely separate from it. Unlike past programs, UpLift: Innovators is not a venture development program; it's about pressure-testing a specific idea, so come with something focused that you're ready to build out and test!

You'll need a computer or tablet with a camera and a reliable internet connection, plus comfort navigating Google's tools (Docs, Slides, Sheets) and UpStart's online learning platform. 

If you need accessibility support or training on any of the tools, reach out to programs@upstartlab.org, and we'll help you get set up.

You'll have access to all program materials for 3 months after the cohort concludes.

We know that plans can change. Full refunds are available up until registration closes. Once registration closes, the fee is non-refundable.

Please reach out to programs@upstartlab.org with any questions.