Health Equity Design Lab
The Health Equity Design Lab convened over 250 stakeholders to co-create bold policy agendas that address health disparities through the lens of racial and economic justice.
Public health professionals ranking community-generated insights during a facilitated group discussion at a Health Equity Design Lab session.
Motivation
Despite growing awareness of health disparities, public health policy often fails to reflect the lived experiences and strategic wisdom of those most impacted. The Health Equity Design Lab was created by the Center for Global Policy Solutions and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to address this disconnect. I was hired to lead the program by bringing together a facilitation team to lead advocates, researchers, and policymakers to collaboratively identify the most pressing barriers to equity and shape interventions that were both grounded and actionable.
Approach
The design process began with stakeholder interviews to surface core tensions, definitions of equity, and systemic barriers faced by grantee organizations. This research informed a culminating one-day strategy summit where small and large group sessions were structured around shared definitions, live synthesis, and equity-centered facilitation. Insights were translated into a cohesive policy framework and strategic recommendations.
Outcomes
Three policy agendas weredeveloped through participatory design and consensus building
90% of participants said the agendas targeted the most impactful systems-change levers
Increased alignment was reported across diverse stakeholders, including funders, community leaders, and public health experts
Leadership & Impact
Through structured facilitation, equity-centered framing, and synthesis-driven reporting, this process turned complex input into clear, actionable strategy. The design and delivery of this engagement deepened cross-sector alignment and gave stakeholders tools to carry equity work forward with clarity and confidence.
Public health professionals reviewing community-generated insights during a facilitated group discussion at a Health Equity Design Lab session.
Attendees take part in a human-centered design activity at the Women's Wealth and Health Equity Summit.
Attendees take part in a human-centered design activity at the Women's Wealth and Health Equity Summit.
Attendees take part in a human-centered design activity at the Women's Wealth and Health Equity Summit.
Attendees take part in a human-centered design activity during a HED Lab workshop.
A HED Lab facilitator moderates a panel at the Women's Wealth and Health Equity Summit.
Panoramic view of the Women’s Wealth & Health Equity Summit in 2017, showing roundtables of attendees and large screens displaying summit branding in a chandelier-lit ballroom.
