Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator

Building on a 70-year history of innovating for children, UNICEF and Duke University have teamed up to identify and support the bold minds creating solutions to protracted issues confronting children and youth globally. By pairing UNICEF’s commitment to children and global reach with Duke’s two-decade-plus expertise in social innovation and entrepreneurship, the Duke-UNICEF Innovation Accelerator (DUIA) makes a real and lasting difference in the lives of children around the world.

Since its inception in 2019, DUIA funds and supports social entrepreneurs tackling the most pressing challenges facing children and youth today, catalyzing the impact of supported social enterprises across Africa. Each year, DUIA seeks out social enterprises addressing innovative solutions in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) and works with them to scale their impact over the course of 18 months. DUIA’s first cohort targeted increased access to Menstrual Health and Hygiene (MHH) information and services, an issue that has an enormous impact on the lives of adolescent girls.