Accelerator
You know something needs to change.
For child welfare leaders who feel the misalignment and are ready to fix it.
Maybe you want to launch something new. Maybe you're pivoting away from work that no longer fits your values. Maybe you have an idea that's been living in a notebook for two years and you just need the community, the structure, and the push to make it real.
That's exactly what the Accelerator is built for.
What's included:
The Cohort is 8 weekly sessions
90 minutes each, 10 participants
2 individual coaching sessions with Matt/Cheri
The full IF community & monthly meet-ups
A guided curriculum workbook
An Imagination Factory t-shirt (because you earned it)
Beyond the 8 weeks:
3 additional months of cohort coaching
Monthly Accelerator Grad meetups
Schedule:
Weeks 1-2: Clarify values, set intentions, learn principles + grow creativity
Weeks 3-4: Reality test your ideas with supportive peer + facilitator feedback
Weeks 5-6: Implement practices and principles to build your action plan
Weeks 7-8: Lock in your action plan and set your 30-day accountability plan
You'll leave with:
A clear, actionable plan you can use Monday
Peer community who knows your work and your ‘why’
Facilitator feedback from people who've done this
Tools that influence, pivot, and build something new
Confidence that your idea is worth the risk
Facilitators
Matt Anderson
Co-Founder + CEO
Cheri Williams
Co-Founder + Chief Program Officer
Worked inside child welfare a combined 45 years before leaving the status quo, and building Imagination Factory.
“With Imagination Factory's support, I connected with an attorney, found funding, and launched an app that links families to real-time care coordination.”
— TAYVON LEWIS, CRE8IVE CHANGE
Ready to build?
Virtual | 8 Weeks | Weekly Calls
Sliding scale & scholarships available for those with lived experience in the foster care system
Applications are open. Spots are limited.
Apply Now→
Accelerator FAQs
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Child welfare leaders, founders, and mid-career pivoters ready to move an idea forward.
Whether that's launching a nonprofit, starting a venture, or finding a new path that actually fits their values, these are the leaders ready to accelerate.
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Eight weeks of 90-minute sessions, once per week. Plan for 3–5 hours total per week including independent work between sessions.
After the cohort, you'll have 3 months of monthly group coaching to keep the momentum going.
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Nope.
You need a rough idea and a willingness to get challenged. The Accelerator helps you sharpen the idea, pressure test it and refine it to a finished state.
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Yes.
Sliding scale pricing and scholarships are available, with priority for applicants with lived experience in the child welfare or foster care system.
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Whatever they dream.
Past participants have launched nonprofits, pivoted careers, built apps, designed new programs, and found the clarity to leave work that wasn't working.
Ryan O'Donnell, CEO of Sunlight, launched a client-facing app and tested it with 400 clients in Oklahoma after going through IF.