The Framework
IncubatorU 5 Step Methodology
Three decades of innovation leadership at Nike — distilled into a five-step framework now deployed across rural towns, public agencies, and mission-driven organizations.
Most organizations already have what they need to innovate. The IncubatorU methodology doesn't replace what's there — it activates it. Built on 30+ years of real-world innovation leadership at Nike and beyond, these 5 steps provide a repeatable, adaptable framework for transformation from the inside out.
Step 1 of 5
Imagine
Define the vision. Give permission to dream.
Begin by widening what your team believes is possible. Set the horizon line before mapping the path. This step is about cultural permission as much as strategy.
Community
Imagining a rural track facility as a regional wellness hub that draws people from three counties.
Business
Reframing a stalled product as a human movement opportunity hidden in plain sight.
Health
Picturing a town where daily movement is the norm, not the prescription.
Step 2 of 5
Identify
Audit existing assets, people, and ideas.
Map every resource already inside the system. Most organizations dramatically underestimate what they already have.
Community
Identifying underutilized trails and disconnected health providers across an entire watershed.
Business
Mapping cross-functional innovation barriers that no single leader can see.
Health
Locating the structural barriers to movement for inactive populations.
Step 3 of 5
Initiate
Launch with momentum and coalition.
Strategy without motion dies in a deck. We design first moves designed to build coalition, prove value, and create undeniable forward momentum.
Community
First community activation event as proof of concept — and proof of belonging.
Business
Rapid prototype paired with stakeholder alignment ceremonies.
Health
Pilot programs with measurable behavior change targets and clear stories.
Step 4 of 5
Implement
Build what endures — infrastructure, relationships, systems.
This is where we go from movement to monument. Track construction, partner agreements, programming calendars, governance — the unglamorous work that makes change permanent.
Community
Track construction, wellness hubs, trail activation, and the deals that fund them.
Business
Scaled rollout with change management and internal champions.
Health
Embedded programming with healthcare partner integration.
Step 5 of 5
Integrate
Weave innovation into culture so it sustains itself.
The real measure of innovation isn't launch. It's whether the system survives without us. We design transitions so the local community owns the future.
Community
Local leadership ownership, ongoing events, economic sustainability you can audit.
Business
Innovation culture embedded in operations and hiring.
Health
Behavior change becomes community identity.
Ready to Bring This Framework to Your Organization?
Workshops, consulting engagements, and full-scale community activations.