In this video, Amber Schleuning shares her story and offers valuable insight to Mission Daybreak solvers.



These are the specific Veteran-centered design resources highlighted in the personal story shared above. Applying design research techniques can give solvers insight into specific Veteran populations’ motivations, attitudes, and experiences. This insight can in turn result in more responsive solutions that meet the diverse needs of Veterans.

  • Veterans Access to Mental Health Services (VA Center for Innovation and the Public Policy Lab)
    A report outlining current experiences and future design opportunities to better serve veterans and front-line providers.
  • Veteran-Centered Suicide Prevention: A Pilot Project (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the LAB at the Office of Personnel and Management)
    A report using human-centered design and a public health lens to better understand how to prevent suicide among Veterans.

Enter Mission Daybreak by July 8

Solvers should submit detailed concept papers to Phase 1 by 4:59 p.m. EDT on July 8, 2022. Some innovators will have market-ready solutions, while others will have early concepts — in Phase 1 of Mission Daybreak, the quality of the idea and potential for viability is more critical than present-day maturity.

30 finalists will be selected to participate in a virtual accelerator, which will provide resources — from exclusive data sets to networking and mentorship — to help solvers prepare their final submissions.

To receive all competition updates, subscribe to the Mission Daybreak newsletter. All challenge questions should be sent to hello@missiondaybreak.net.