We Accelerate Innovation Where It Matters Most, Inside Your Teams
Stop losing momentum to endless meetings and internal debates. We're innovation acceleration partners who help you test ideas with real customers in days, coach your teams to execute with confidence, and embed practices that last.
Trusted by the world's best
Build a Faster, Leaner, More Effective Innovation Engine
Most companies don't struggle with ideas. They struggle with turning those ideas into validated outcomes quickly and consistently.
The Breakthrough Lab™ gives your teams a clear method to innovate with speed and confidence — not once, but on repeat.
How the Breakthrough Lab Works
WE HELP YOU
Align leaders around the right problems to solve
Validate solutions with real customers in days
Stand up teams that deliver outcomes, not just output
Embed practices that continue long after we step out
This is innovation that becomes part of how you operate, not a one-off
workshop.
The Breakthrough Lab Method™
North Star Workshop → Design Sprint → Team Launch
From idea to customer-backed execution in 90 days.
NORTH STAR
Getting Clear On What Actually Matters
THE CHALLENGE
Your long-term vision is fuzzy. The market is shifting, customer needs are evolving, and teams are guessing at what to build next.
WHAT WE DO
Run a North Star workshop with your leadership team to identify the highest-value customer problems and align on what to test first.
WHAT YOU GET
-
Strategic clarity everyone accepts
-
Leadership alignment on priorities
- Clear success metrics
DESIGN SPRINT
Testing one bold idea quickly
THE CHALLENGE
You see a real problem or emerging opportunity, but you don't yet know the right solution. If you guess internally, you risk months of building the wrong thing.
WHAT WE DO
In a 5-day Design Sprint, we help your team define the problem, create potential solutions, build a realistic prototype, and test it with real customers.
WHAT YOU GET
-
Customer-tested prototype with real feedback
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Evidence-based go/no-go recommendation
- Team experience in rapid testing
TEAM LAUNCH
Launching Teams That Execute With Confidence
THE CHALLENGE
You have validated direction. Now you need a team that can deliver without constant oversight.
WHAT WE DO
Launch a dedicated team with proven Lean/Agile practices and coach them for 3-6 months so the momentum sustains.
WHAT YOU GET
-
Teams equipped to deliver independently
-
Embedded practices that last
- Innovation capability you can repeat
Why Centered
01
Speed Without Shortcuts
We compress 12 months into 90 days, not by cutting corners, but by cutting waste. Customer validation is built into the process at the right moments.
→ Not just faster. Validated faster.
02
Customer-Backed Decisions
We don't guess what customers want—we test it. Every prototype is validated with 5-7 real users before you commit development resources.
→ Not just prototypes. Proven prototypes.
03
End-to-End Partnership
We don't drop a strategy deck and disappear. We stay with you from sprint to launch-ready prototype to go-to-market plan.
→ Not just ideas. Implementation roadmaps.
04
Battle-Tested Method
Our Breakthrough Lab Method™ has launched products for Fortune 500 companies and fast-scaling startups. We've run 100+ design sprints across industries.
→ Not just theory. Proven across industries.
"Centered helped us compress innovation timelines and build capability at the same time. Their blend of facilitation, coaching, and partnership has transformed how our teams work and collaborate."
Sandra D'Ambrosio
Executive Program Manager, HP
"Centered has been an invaluable partner in helping us unlock a new level of innovation. They didn't just run workshops, they transformed how we think, collaborate, and execute."
Lara Bowen
Lara Chief Innovation Officer, Univet
"I valued Centered's coaching so much that I sent my high-potential leaders to work with them. They help people think differently and lead more effectively."
Lara Bowen
Lara Chief Innovation Officer, Univet
"Centered helped us validate critical assumptions fast. The sprint aligned our cross-functional teams and gave us clear customer evidence to move forward."
Chadwick Andrews
Sr. Director, Bushnell Outdoor Products
"Centered understands the human side of ways of working better than anyone I've partnered with. They help teams communicate and deliver with clarity."
Tom Cudd
Lead Cloud Engineer
"Centered is my go-to partner when a team needs clarity, alignment, and fast progress. They have a rare ability to catalyze change."
Abby Andres
Head of Strategy & Communications
Common Questions
Everything you need to know about working with Centered
Who is this for?
We work with scale-up organizations and select Fortune 500 innovation teams who need to test ideas with customers quickly and build sustainable innovation capability. Typical clients: VP Product, Chief Innovation Officers, and business unit leaders.
How is this different from hiring consultants?
Consultants give you recommendations and leave. We work alongside your teams for 3-6 months, coaching through real initiatives so the capability transfers. Three months after we leave, teams are still using our methods.
What results can we expect?
Ideas tested with customers in days, not months. Typical timeline compression: 12 months to 2-3 weeks for validation. Our clients report faster decision-making, higher team confidence, and reduced dependency on external consultants.
What is so great about the Pro plan?
We've run 100+ sprints across technology, SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer products, and professional services. What matters more than industry is readiness: leadership aligned on the need for change.
Do you offer virtual or in-person services?
Both. Key workshops (North Star, Design Sprint) are most effective in-person. Team coaching works well remotely or hybrid. Most clients do workshops in-person, ongoing coaching remote.
How do we get started?
Schedule a 30-minute discovery call. We'll understand your challenge, assess if we're the right fit, and recommend the best approach. No pressure. No pitch.
