Strategic Transformation: Reimagining UNICEF Kid Power for Scale
Pivoting a successful program from an unsustainable hardware model to scalable digital platform, cutting costs 67% while scaling to reach 1 million students a year across 1-in-6 US classrooms.
The Opportunity
UNICEF USA's Kid Power program had developed an innovative model using wearable fitness trackers to convert children's physical activity into life-saving therapeutic food packets for malnourished children globally. Despite being a top selling wearable in Target, earning phenomenal press and enjoying a thriving user base, the program wasn't financially sustainable. The program had the potential to reach significantly more children and schools but only if there was a more scalable delivery model and optimized cost structure that could continue to capture the hearts and minds of children across the U.S.
Our Approach
As head of UNICEF USA's Ventures team, Ryan Modjeski led a strategic innovation initiative to amplify Kid Power's impact while enhancing operational efficiency:
Core Value Identification: Led a focused three-day strategic retreat to identify the program's essential value proposition—children's physical activity directly helping peers worldwide
Delivery Model Innovation: Evolved from a hardware-dependent wearable model to a scalable, digital-first platform accessible to more schools and families
Education Integration: Created a streaming video solution that seamlessly integrated into classroom routines, making implementation easier for teachers
Operational Optimization: Streamlined the operating model to significantly reduce overhead while maintaining program integrity
Sustainable Funding: Pioneered new, lucrative fundraising channels for UNICEF that diversified and scaled revenue, raising millions dollars
The Impact
This strategic evolution transformed both the program's reach and economics:
Dramatic Cost Efficiency: Reduced annual operating budget from $6M to approximately $2M while multiplying program reach
Unprecedented Scale: Expanded to reach 1-in-6 elementary school classrooms across the United States
Global Impact: Established presence in almost every country globally
Lives Saved: Generated funding that saved the lives of over 100,000 severely malnourished children worldwide
Recognition: Received distinction as one of Time Magazine's Best Inventions of the Year, an Emmy Award for Public Service Initiative, Games for Change's Most Significant Impact Award and a Shorty Award for Social Good
The reimagined Kid Power became UNICEF's largest domestic program, demonstrating how strategic innovation can simultaneously enhance mission impact and operational sustainability.
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