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InnoPower Impact Studio
Inaugural Cohort 2026
A transformative 12-week accelerator helping mission-driven organizations build sustainable revenue models that strengthen—not dilute—their mission. Five Indianapolis organizations. One shared vision: moving from grant dependency to financial sustainability while deepening community impact.
Indianapolis, Indiana
5 Organizations
12 Weeks

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InnoPower Working to Help Non-Profits During Funding Crunch

As grants and other funding sources dry up for nonprofits across Indianapolis, InnoPower wants to help organizations find new ways to raise revenue.

Critical Challenge
The Grant Dependency Trap
Organizations serving under-resourced communities find themselves trapped in exhausting cycles of grant dependency—spending more time chasing funding than delivering impact to their communities. The traditional funding model is broken, creating barriers that prevent organizations from realizing their full potential.
Increasingly Competitive
Grant funding has become a zero-sum game with fewer dollars chasing exponentially more applicants. Organizations spend countless hours on applications with success rates dropping year over year. The competition diverts energy from mission delivery to fundraising.
Restrictive Terms
Grant requirements often come with rigid constraints that limit how organizations can adapt and respond to evolving community needs. Restrictive spending categories, reporting burdens, and predetermined outcomes prevent innovative solutions and responsive programming.
Unpredictable Cycles
Year-to-year funding uncertainty makes long-term strategic planning nearly impossible. Organizations cannot invest in infrastructure, retain talent, or make multi-year commitments when they don't know if funding will continue. This perpetuates short-term thinking.

The reality: These organizations possess tremendous assets—specialized skills, deep community relationships, hard-earned trust, and cultural knowledge—that have been systematically undervalued by traditional funding structures. It's time to unlock that value.
The Solution: InnoPower Impact Studio
InnoPower Impact Studio is a comprehensive 12-week accelerator program that partners with mission-driven organizations to design, validate, and launch sustainable revenue models. We provide the frameworks, coaching, and validation processes that transform valuable assets into viable businesses.
Our Foundational Belief
"Urban and rural poverty stems from broken economies, not broken people."
Communities possess extraordinary assets—skills, relationships, cultural knowledge, networks, expertise—that can be strategically monetized to create sustainable futures. We help organizations identify these assets and build revenue streams around them, creating financial independence without compromising mission integrity.
The Transformation We Enable
We guide organizations through a structured process that converts existing assets and expertise into earned income streams. This isn't about abandoning mission for profit—it's about building financial independence that amplifies impact. When revenue is mission-locked, every dollar earned deepens community service.
12
Weeks
Intensive curriculum
5
Organizations
Inaugural cohort
6
Modules
Core framework
Curriculum Overview
The 12-Week Business Building Journey
Six comprehensive modules. Concrete deliverables at each stage. A validated revenue model ready for launch. Each module builds systematically on the previous one, moving from strategic foundation through customer validation to investor-ready execution.
1
Module 1: Business Model (Weeks 1-2)
Identify your organization's business model type. Map existing and potential revenue streams to nine proven engines. Discover monetizable assets hiding in plain sight—relationships, expertise, infrastructure, trust.
Deliverable: Business Model Map showing current state and future opportunities
2
Module 2: Value Proposition (Weeks 3-4)
Define the specific customer problems you solve. Position your organization as a problem-solver and value creator, not a charity dependent on goodwill. Differentiate from competitors and articulate unique strengths.
Deliverable: Value Proposition Statement that resonates with paying customers
3
Module 3: Revenue Selection (Weeks 5-6)
Apply rigorous viability testing to potential revenue streams. Assess organizational readiness across capabilities, capacity, and commitment. Prioritize opportunities by mission alignment and financial potential.
Deliverable: Revenue Diversification Plan with prioritized strategies
4
Module 4: Customer Strategy (Weeks 7-8)
Segment target customers by needs, behaviors, and willingness to pay. Build detailed personas. Design customer acquisition channels and conversion funnels. Plan the first 100 customer conversations.
Deliverable: Customer Acquisition Plan with defined channels and tactics
5
Module 5: Pricing Strategy (Weeks 9-10)
Calculate true costs including overhead and hidden expenses. Identify break-even points. Design tiered pricing that serves diverse customer segments. Test pricing with real prospects.
Deliverable: Pricing Model with Financial Projections showing path to sustainability
6
Module 6: Investment Pitch (Weeks 11-12)
Frame your revenue model as an investment opportunity, not a donation request. Present compelling financials showing return potential. Anticipate and address investor questions and concerns.
Deliverable: Investor-Ready Pitch Deck with validated business case

Cohort Experience: Weekly coaching sessions, peer accountability partnerships, and real customer validation exercises ensure learning translates into action. Organizations graduate with a validated revenue model, financial projections, and go-to-market strategy ready for execution.
Meet the Inaugural Cohort
Five exceptional mission-driven organizations addressing the interconnected challenges that shape community wellbeing across Indianapolis. Each has demonstrated measurable impact. Each needs sustainable revenue to continue making transformative change—independent of unpredictable grant cycles.
The Nehemiah Project CDC
Focus: Workforce Development
NCCER/OSHA construction training with real job site experience. Cosmetology and barbering pathways. Higher education connections. Creating pathways to $40K+ careers for justice-involved individuals and residents of ZIP 46218.
A Learning Bee Academy
Focus: Early Education
STEM-focused pre-K education (birth-age 5) and after-school tutoring (ages 6-12). Evidence-based early literacy curriculum. Family engagement model treating parents as co-educators in children's development.
Teach For America Indianapolis
Focus: Teacher Training
16 years of systematized teacher training expertise. Evidence-based coaching methodology. Content development capabilities. Proven instructional frameworks addressing Central Indiana's teacher shortage crisis.
Indy's Global Village
Focus: Cultural Connection
46,000 sq ft cultural hub and museum facility for immigrant communities. Global artifact collection. Youth programming (Global Explorers). Restaurant mentorship network connecting cultures through food.
KG's Kids Education
Focus: Literacy
Decades of proven literacy curriculum developed by expert educators. Personalized learning approach. Deep community trust. AI-powered platform scaling individualized instruction to reach every struggling reader.
The common thread: Each organization has demonstrated measurable impact serving Indianapolis communities. Each possesses valuable assets—expertise, relationships, infrastructure, methodology—that can generate sustainable revenue while deepening mission impact. They're ready to transform financial models while staying true to their purpose.
Cohort Deep Dive: Workforce & Education Models
Let's examine how three cohort organizations are building sustainable revenue models that directly align with their missions, creating scenarios where profit and impact reinforce each other.
The Nehemiah Project CDC
Workforce Development
The Challenge They Address
In Indianapolis ZIP code 46218, only 19-25% of residents without college degrees earn $40,000 with benefits. Unemployment perpetuates cycles of poverty, particularly for justice-involved individuals facing systemic barriers to employment. Traditional job training often fails to connect to actual employment opportunities.
Their Proven Solution
  • NCCER/OSHA certified construction training with hands-on job site experience
  • Cosmetology and barbering programs through Fuqua Institute partnership
  • Higher education pathways via Indiana Wesleyan University
  • Real-world experience preparing graduates for immediate employment
Revenue Streams to Validate
01
Employer Training Contracts
Partner with construction companies and salons to deliver customized workforce training directly
02
Graduate Placement Fees
Charge employers recruiting fees when they hire qualified graduates
03
Construction Services
Student crews bid on real projects, generating revenue while building skills
04
Government Reentry Contracts
Partner with corrections systems on workforce reintegration programs

Mission Lock: Revenue only grows when graduates get jobs that pay living wages. Employers only pay when training produces qualified workers they actually want to hire. Profit and impact are inseparably linked—this is mission-locked revenue at its finest.
150+
Youth Served
60+
Families Reached
3
Training Tracks
A Learning Bee Academy
Early Education
The Crisis They Address
In ZIP 46218, 45% of children under age 5 live in poverty. Math and reading proficiency rates average only 8-14%. Just 40% of adults have high school diplomas. Life expectancy is 17 years lower than in wealthy Indianapolis neighborhoods—a gap rooted in educational inequality beginning at birth.
Their Proven Solution
  • STEM-focused pre-K education for children birth through age 5
  • After-school tutoring for ages 6-12 supporting continued growth
  • Evidence-based early literacy curriculum with proven results
  • Family engagement treating parents as essential co-educators
Revenue Streams to Validate
01
Sliding-Scale Tuition
Cross-subsidy model where families who can pay more subsidize those who cannot
02
Extended Day Programs
Before/after school care supporting working families with premium pricing
03
K-3 Enrichment Programs
Expand age range serving elementary students, opening new revenue opportunity
04
Summer Programs
Year-round programming prevents summer learning loss while generating revenue

Mission Lock: Revenue comes exclusively from educating children in ZIP 46218. The organization cannot drift to serve wealthier neighborhoods because the cross-subsidy model requires serving all income levels in the target community. Families who can pay more enable scholarships for families who cannot.
85%
Literacy growth achieved
90%
Kindergarten ready
100+
Children served annually
Cohort Deep Dive: Knowledge & Platform Models
Two organizations are transforming proprietary expertise and physical assets into scalable revenue engines—proving that knowledge and infrastructure can become products without losing mission focus.
Teach For America Indianapolis
Teacher Training Expertise
The Crisis They Address
Central Indiana faces accelerating teacher shortages across special education, elementary education, mathematics, and science. Schools cannot find qualified teachers. Student achievement suffers. The shortage disproportionately impacts under-resourced schools that need excellent teachers most.
Their Valuable Asset
16 years of systematized teacher training methodology. Evidence-based coaching frameworks. Curriculum development expertise. Proven instructional strategies. This knowledge has been developed, tested, and refined—it's a proprietary asset worth monetizing.
The Business Model Transformation
1
Before
Grant-funded corps member placement model dependent on external funding
2
After
Teaching expertise becomes scalable product generating sustainable revenue
Revenue Streams to Validate
  • District Subscription Platform: Schools pay for access to professional development platform and resources
  • Curriculum Licensing: Other organizations license proven training materials and frameworks
  • Educator Certification Programs: Teachers earn credentials through specialized coaching programs
  • Consulting Services: Partner with schools on customized instructional improvement initiatives

Mission Lock: Revenue grows only when more teachers improve their practice and students benefit. The AI-powered platform serves the same educational equity mission—just at scale. More revenue means more teachers reached and more students impacted.
Indy's Global Village
Cultural Platform
The Challenge They Address
Indianapolis immigrant population drives the majority of regional population growth, yet federal funding and private donations have decreased drastically. Cultural institutions struggle to survive despite serving vital community integration functions. Without sustainable funding, cultural connection infrastructure disappears.
Their Valuable Assets
  • 46,000 square foot museum and cultural facility
  • 6,000 square foot event hall capable of hosting large gatherings
  • Extensive global artifact collection with educational value
  • Restaurant mentorship network (IM EATS program)
  • Youth programming (Global Explorers) with proven engagement
Five Revenue Engines to Activate
Event Rentals
Monetize 6,000 sq ft event hall for weddings, corporate events, cultural celebrations
Membership Programs
Individual and corporate memberships providing access and benefits
Program Fees
Charge for Global Explorers youth program and guided cultural tours
Restaurant Partnership
Revenue sharing from IM EATS restaurant mentorship network
Corporate Training
DEI workshops and cultural competency training for businesses

Mission Lock: Every revenue stream requires fulfilling the cultural inclusion mission. The organization makes money when more people experience global cultures. Event rentals generate revenue while showcasing the space. Corporate training earns fees while spreading cultural understanding. Revenue and mission are inextricably linked.
Spotlight: KG's Kids Education
Literacy Innovation
The Literacy Crisis
In 2025, one in four Marion County third graders failed IREAD-3, Indiana's reading proficiency assessment. Black students are disproportionately affected by this literacy crisis. Research shows children not reading proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school—perpetuating cycles of poverty and limited opportunity.
Their Proprietary Asset
Decades of proven literacy curriculum systematically developed by expert educators David and Heather. Personalized learning approach adapted to individual student needs. Deep community trust built through years of demonstrated results. This methodology has been tested, refined, and proven effective—it's intellectual property worth protecting and scaling.
The Knowledge-as-Product Model
KG's Kids is transforming their educational expertise into a scalable revenue engine. Their AI-powered platform enables personalized literacy instruction without proportional cost increases—serving more students while maintaining quality.
Four Revenue Streams
Family Subscriptions
$15-20/month for parents supporting children's literacy at home
School Licensing
$3,000-5,000/year per school for institutional access
Educator Certification
Training programs credentialing teachers in the methodology
Sponsor Partnerships
Corporate underwriting providing sponsored access for underserved students
Year One Targets

Mission Lock: The organization can ONLY make money when more children learn to read. Revenue growth requires serving more struggling readers. The product IS literacy—there's no way to drift from mission because mission is the product. This is the gold standard of mission-locked revenue.
The Impact Studio Framework
Our proven methodology guides organizations through three critical stages, ensuring sustainable revenue models that protect—rather than compromise—mission integrity.
Step 1: Identify the Business Model
Organizations succeed when they build income from what they already do well—not by starting something completely new. We help identify which of four core business models fits your existing operations:
  • Service Model: Deliver services directly to customers (training, education, care)
  • Knowledge Model: Package expertise into products (curriculum, training, consulting)
  • Platform Model: Connect communities and charge for access (events, memberships)
  • Product Model: Create and sell physical goods aligned with mission
We then map your assets to nine proven revenue engines, identifying monetization opportunities hiding in plain sight.
Step 2: Validate With Real Customers
No business plan survives contact with actual customers. We require rigorous reality-testing through structured validation:
  • Customer Discovery: Conduct 10-15 problem interviews with target customers
  • Capability Assessment: Honestly evaluate skills, resources, and organizational readiness
  • Financial Modeling: Run the numbers to identify break-even and profitability paths
Three questions must be answered affirmatively: Do people want this? Can we deliver it? Do the numbers work? If any answer is no, we iterate until they're all yes.
Step 3: Lock Mission to Revenue
The critical test for sustainable mission-driven business: Can you ONLY make money by serving the community you exist to serve?
Mission lock means profit and impact are inseparable. The organization cannot drift to serve easier or wealthier markets because the revenue model structurally requires serving the target community. Revenue growth automatically means mission growth.
If you can make more money by serving a different population, the model isn't mission-locked. We work until the revenue model passes this rigorous test.
Five Organizations. One Mission.
From Aid to Investment
"Innovation doesn't mean more technology or complexity. It means creating sustainable, community-driven solutions that transform lives while building lasting organizations."
The InnoPower Impact Studio inaugural cohort represents a fundamental shift in how mission-driven organizations think about sustainability. These five organizations are pioneering a new model—one where financial independence amplifies rather than compromises impact.
Over 12 weeks, they will transform valuable assets into viable revenue streams. They will validate business models with real customers. They will build financial projections showing paths to sustainability. And most importantly, they will prove that organizations can serve their communities more effectively when they're not trapped in grant dependency cycles.
12
Weeks
Intensive transformation
5
Organizations
Leading the way
1
Mission
Building what lasts
The Inaugural Cohort is Ready
These organizations have demonstrated impact. They possess valuable assets. They're committed to transformation. Now they need partners who believe in their potential—investors, sponsors, and supporters who understand that sustainable revenue models create sustainable impact.
Let's build something that lasts.