ProgramsESTEEM Graduate Program Capstone (June 2026-May 2027)ProjectsImaging for Impact Accelerator: Innovation Portfolio Development

Project Title: Imaging for Impact Accelerator: Innovation Portfolio Development

Inteleos Foundation

Details
Project Title Imaging for Impact Accelerator: Innovation Portfolio Development
Project Topics Data Management Entrepreneurship Growth Strategy Innovation International Affairs Operations Product Design & Development Research & Development Research, Analysis, Evaluation Strategic Planning Sustainability & ESG Technology Commercialization Training & Development UX/UI & Human-Centered Design
Skills & Expertise Design Thinking Global Health Impact Measurement International Development Medical Imaging Social Enterprise Tech Start-Up Acumen Venture Capital
Project Synopsis: Challenge/Opportunity
The Inteleos Foundation is a leader in promoting global health through innovative ultrasound solutions. Despite its strong reputation and impactful initiatives, the Foundation faces a challenge in effectively cataloguing and presenting its innovations, particularly for the upcoming 2026 cohort. Currently, the lack of a cohesive, standardized portfolio limits their ability to attract impact investors, corporate partners, and philanthropic funders who seek scalable and evidence-backed solutions. This gap not only hampers the Accelerator's visibility in the global market but also reduces opportunities for partnerships and funding that could enhance program sustainability. By engaging with this project, students have a unique opportunity to bridge this gap through the creation of a robust innovation portfolio and an “idea-to-impact” framework. The project will be divided into phases, beginning with the catalogue of innovations, followed by the development of the impact model, and concluding with compiling insights into a comprehensive portfolio. This endeavor is ideal for students as it offers practical experience in research, analysis, and strategic planning while contributing to the Foundation's long-term mission of expanding ultrasound access in underserved communities.
Project Synopsis: Activities/Actions Required
 To reach these outcomes, the project would involve the following core activities: 

Discovery and Scoping

  • Review existing documentation, proposals, and historical Accelerator materials

  • Conduct structured interviews with Inteleos staff, mentors, and innovation leads

  • Define success metrics aligned with Foundation priorities and investor expectations
Innovation Catalogue Development
 
  • Design a standardized innovation profiling template

  • Collect, validate, and synthesize data for each proposed 2026 innovation

  • Classify innovations by theme (e.g., maternal health, workforce training, AI-enabled diagnostics, access models)
Impact and Commercialization Modeling
 
  • Map each innovation’s pathway from idea to implementation to sustainability

  • Identify common success factors, risks, and resource requirements

  • Articulate potential revenue, partnership, or scale mechanisms for each category of innovation
Portfolio and Asset Creation
 
  • Compile innovation profiles into a cohesive, visually clear portfolio

  • Translate technical content into language accessible to non-clinical investors and partners

  • Align portfolio messaging with Inteleos Foundation’s mission, brand, and fundraising goals
Validation and Refinement
 
  • Present drafts to internal stakeholders for feedback

  • Incorporate revisions to ensure accuracy, usability, and external readiness

  • Produce final deliverables suitable for international marketing and partnership outreach
Project Synopsis: Expected Results
This project would be considered successful if it produces a cohesive, standardized, and externally usable innovation portfolio for the Imaging for Impact Accelerator that materially improves the Foundation’s ability to communicate value, attract partners, and secure funding. 

Key measurable outcomes include: 

  • Completion of a standardized innovation catalogue for 100% of proposed 2026 Accelerator innovations, using a consistent framework that captures problem statements, target populations, geographies, technological approaches, implementation pathways, and anticipated impact.

  • Development of a clearly articulated “idea-to-impact” model that documents how innovations progress from concept through validation, implementation, and sustainability (e.g., social enterprise, public–private partnership, or scale-through-adoption models).

  • Creation of an investor- and partner-ready portfolio (digital and/or PDF) that can be used in external outreach to impact investors, corporate partners, and philanthropic funders.

  • Demonstrable improvement in external engagement, measured by:

    1. Increased number of investor or partner conversations referencing the portfolio

    2. Use of the portfolio in fundraising or partnership pitches

    3. Positive qualitative feedback from stakeholders on clarity, rigor, and market readiness

  • Internal adoption of tools and frameworks, evidenced by staff using the catalogue and impact model for decision-making, reporting, and future Accelerator cohorts.
Ultimately, success means the Accelerator is positioned not only as an innovation program, but as a credible, scalable pipeline for global ultrasound solutions that become sustainable and profitable social enterprises. 

Project Timeline

Touchpoints & Assignments Date Type

Program Managers

Name Organization
Neil Kane University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

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