Our Story

HELLO!

YLabs is a team of physicians, designers, economists, developers, public health professionals, and educators. We bring a unique mix of human-centered design, adolescent health, outcome evaluation, and implementation know-how to the global problems facing youth.

YLabs was founded at the Harvard Innovation Lab in 2016 in response to a need for innovation in partnership with youth. Co-founders Rebecca Hope, Shannon Milroy, and Majdi Osman saw that despite impressive global reductions in child mortality over recent decades, there had been little improvement in the health and survival of young people globally.

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OUR MISSION

We design, test, and advocate for youth-driven solutions that address the biggest challenges to young people’s health and economic opportunity worldwide.

WHY FOCUS ON YOUTH

The world’s 1.8 billion young people are a force for global transformation, but also face considerable social, health, and economic challenges to realizing their potential. There is a need for desirable, scalable, evidence-based programming designed with young people, not just for them.

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OUR VISION

All young people have the power to design a healthier, more prosperous future for themselves and their communities.

OUR WORK

To date, YLabs has worked in 15 countries: Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and the United States.

We focus on areas of work that represent the biggest global opportunities for youth-driven innovation to reduce mortality and morbidity among young people - HIV/AIDS, Sexual & Reproductive Health, Mental Health, and Economic Inclusion.

Our partners include Pathfinder International, Partners in Health, Population Services International, International Planned Parenthood Federation and Glasswing International.