Luminary Labs

Luminary Labs

Strategy and program execution consultancy

Overview

Luminary Labs is a strategy and innovation consultancy based in New York City. It helps government, foundations, and private-sector clients tackle complex, multistakeholder problems in four focus areas: the future of health, the future of work and education, scientific discovery, and infrastructure. The firm combines strategy and execution, guiding collaborative decision-making and turning upfront thinking into concrete strategies and programs that can be implemented. They emphasize clear, transparent work with a focus on high-quality execution, aiming to turn good ideas into real, measurable outcomes. Their approach thrives in spaces where solutions aren’t obvious and the potential for impact is high. The goal is to help clients make informed choices and turn ideas into realities that advance public and private interests while maintaining a balanced, efficient workplace culture.

About Luminary Labs

Simplify's Rating
Why Luminary Labs is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Data & Analytics

Consulting

Government & Public Sector

Healthcare

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2009

Get referred to Luminary Labs

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • April 2026 updates showed new programs for Lyme diagnostics, NASA, permitting, and vaccines.
  • The January 2025 OASIS+ award expands federal access and lengthens the sales runway.
  • 2025 veteran-health programming and recruiting signal active demand and a growing delivery bench.

What critics are saying

  • Federal contracting dominates; if GSA or agencies pause awards, revenue drops fast.
  • Consulting differentiation erodes as larger firms copy open-innovation playbooks and undercut pricing.
  • Janna Gilbert's January 2026 CEO transition creates execution risk during active program expansion.

What makes Luminary Labs unique

  • Luminary Labs pairs open innovation with federal procurement vehicles, including OASIS+, since January 2025.
  • It specializes in thorny public-sector problems across health, education, infrastructure, and scientific discovery.
  • Mission Daybreak and BARDA prize competitions prove repeatable execution inside complex government systems.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Paid Vacation

Parental Leave

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Commuter Benefits

Phone/Internet Stipend

Professional Development Budget

Charitable Donation Matching

Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Luminary Labs
Oct 9th, 2025
Bringing Veteran mental health to the fore

Bringing Veteran mental health to the fore. As the BHT 2025 Veteran Week Partner, Luminary Labs supports programming to elevate veteran perspectives. There are 15.8 million Veterans in the United States, representing 6% of the adult civilian population. They have unique healthcare needs and deserve access to the best care possible. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Veterans Health Administration - the nation's largest integrated healthcare system - carries out a critical but challenging mission, delivering exceptional care that is both efficient and high-quality to meet the needs of today's Veterans. Launched in 2022, Mission Daybreak was a $20 million grand challenge to address a top clinical priority for the VA: the crisis of Veteran suicide. Effectively one of the largest suicide prevention funding programs ever created, Mission Daybreak leveraged open innovation to identify promising novel solutions, deliver catalytic seed funding, and provide targeted support through piloting and scaling phases. Today, some Mission Daybreak teams have secured VA contracts to pilot their solutions throughout the VA system, using technology and community-based approaches to reach Veterans where they are. Designed and produced by Luminary Labs, Mission Daybreak continues to accelerate innovation in suicide prevention, demonstrating the support innovators need to navigate large, complex systems to realize long-term impact. Teams that participated in the grand challenge, including Unite Us and NeuroFlow, were recently recognized among the world's best healthtech companies by TIME Magazine. Building on Mission Daybreak's momentum and the lessons learned from supporting innovators in Veteran mental health, Luminary Labs is proud to be the Veteran Week Partner for the 2025 Behavioral Health Tech Conference. Amplifying veterans' experiences at BHT 2025. There are countless opportunities to improve the lives of America's Veterans. Through focused conference programming and content on BHT's blog and Expanding Access podcast, Luminary Labs will amplify Veterans' perspectives and elevate insights for mental health innovation. The Luminary Labs team will join thousands of health and innovation leaders at the 2025 Behavioral Health Tech Conference. On November 12, Ben Alsdurf, Luminary Labs Senior Director, Future of Health, will moderate a panel sharing innovation lessons from working with Veterans, featuring perspectives from former VA officials and providers including: * Dr. Matthew Miller, PhD - As the Vice President of the Military, Veteran, and Family Center of Excellence at A-G Associates, Dr. Miller has over 20 years of experience in Veteran and military healthcare, specializing in suicide prevention and mental health services. As former Executive Director for VA Suicide Prevention at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, he oversaw national evidence-based interventions and transformed the Veterans Crisis Line into the world's largest and most efficient suicide crisis call center. * Terri Tanielian - Terri Tanielian served as Special Assistant to the President for Veterans Affairs and Behavioral Health in the Biden-Harris Administration (2021-2025), where she led key White House initiatives on mental health, substance use, and Veteran services. As former director of the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research, she led landmark studies including "Invisible Wounds of War" and "Hidden Heroes: America's Military Caregivers," and has authored over 100 publications shaping Veteran health policy. * Dr. Blas Villalobos - Dr. Villalobos is Chief Executive Officer of Centerstone's Military Services, a not-for-profit health system specializing in mental health and substance use disorder treatments for veterans, active-duty military personnel, and military families. A proud combat veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps (1999-2003), he brings over 15 years of experience working with the veteran and military community, including previous roles as Director of Veterans Affairs for Chapman University and Veterans Affairs Manager for the Los Angeles Mayor's Office. If you're planning to attend BHT2025, Luminary Labs LLC. hope you'll join Luminary Labs LLC. for this session. Conference attendees can register using code VETERAN25 for a discounted rate, courtesy of Luminary Labs. Sharing veteran perspectives. Luminary Labs LLC. has also produced a series of articles and podcasts highlighting key topics and inspiring voices from the Veteran community. * Understanding the Veterans you already serve. Ben Alsdurf and John Boerstler discuss how most behavioral health organizations in America are already serving Veterans - whether they know it or not - and highlight findings from a recent Ipsos survey. * From patients to pioneers: How Veterans drive health innovation. From CT scans to VR therapy, Veterans have driven some of the biggest breakthroughs in healthcare. In this article on the BHT blog, Ben Alsdurf explores those contributions and how they're shaping the future of behavioral health today. * Understanding the Veteran experience: Avoiding assumptions & providing dignity. In this episode, Wanda Wright, Director of the Office for Veteran and Military Academic Engagement at Arizona State University, advocates for women Veterans. She notes many women don't recognize themselves as Veterans, and this, combined with bias, contributes to higher rates of suicide and homelessness among them. * Bridging the Perception Gap: What Veterans Want in Behavioral Healthcare. In this episode, John Boerstler, Head of Public Sector at Ipsos Public Affairs, discusses the unique challenges Veterans face in accessing behavioral health support and the critical need to reduce the stigma surrounding care-seeking. Luminary Labs LLC. will continue publishing Veteran-focused content leading up to the conference. Check back for future articles and recaps from its session and presence at BHT 2025. There's still time to plan your trip to San Diego - register today using code VETERAN25 for a discounted rate.

PR Newswire
Jan 30th, 2025
Luminary Labs Awarded Oasis+ Small Business Contract

"Best-in-Class" contract vehicle makes it even easier for federal clients to access the company's strategy, design, implementation, and scaling services.NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminary Labs, a strategy and innovation consultancy, announced today that it has been awarded an OASIS+ Small Business contract. The award highlights Luminary Labs' strong track record of delivering high-quality strategy, design, implementation, and scaling services to federal government clients. OASIS+ (One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus) is a governmentwide contract program administered by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). It allows agencies across the federal government to acquire innovative solutions from highly qualified businesses on a contract vehicle designed to be Best-in-Class (BIC), satisfying key criteria defined by the Office of Management and Budget

PR Newswire
Feb 9th, 2024
Janna Gilbert Named Partner At Luminary Labs

Luminary Labs establishes a partnership model to support continued growth and expansion.NEW YORK, Feb. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminary Labs, an independent strategy and innovation consultancy, announced that Janna Gilbert has been named a Partner.Since joining Luminary Labs in 2013, Janna has been instrumental in evolving the consultancy's service offering, building and investing in the team, developing deep relationships with clients, and supporting strategic business expansion. In 2019, Janna was promoted to President and has continued to be meaningfully involved in talent and infrastructure investments to support Luminary Labs' growth.Janna Gilbert, Partner and President at Luminary Labs"Joining Luminary Labs changed the course of my career. I have been fortunate to help build and shape a thriving business, and honored to lead an exceptional team doing extraordinary work. I look forward to what is next as we continue to pursue a better and more hopeful future — for the world, for our clients, and for ourselves." said Janna Gilbert, Partner and President.The company's new partnership model will support continued growth and expansion."By creating a partnership path, we are also ensuring that our company's leadership can expand to meet the scale of our ambitions –– and support our deep commitment to organizational sustainability and longevity." said Sara Holoubek, Founding Partner and CEO.Janna and Sara will continue to serve as President and CEO, respectively.Luminary Labs is a strategy and innovation consultancy established in 2009. The company's work spans a broad cross section of topics across four focus areas: the future of work and education, the future of health, scientific discovery, and infrastructure.Luminary Labs has been tasked with designing and producing open innovation programs on behalf of public, private, and nonprofit organizations, representing more than $250 million in potential cash incentives for accelerating effective, scalable solutions

PR Newswire
Nov 16th, 2023
State Of Open Innovation 2023 Report: Organizations Use Open Innovation To Address Their Most Urgent And Important Goals

100+ leading organizations across 20+ industries offer fresh perspectives on designing programs, developing partnerships, and measuring outcomes.NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The world has changed dramatically in the past five years, and in this new world, there's a growing awareness of open innovation and recognition of its potential to achieve an organization's most urgent and important goals. Today, Luminary Labs released the State of Open Innovation 2023 , a follow-up to the company's landmark 2018 report. The new report, available online at luminary-labs.com , includes insights from open innovation leaders at more than 100 organizations — including AstraZeneca, Bayer, MIT Solve, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, Siegel Family Endowment, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the University of Chicago, and the Walton Family Foundation.Open innovation comes of ageFive years ago, collaboration was "the new competitive edge." Now, across sectors, partnership is a prerequisite, and open innovation is essential to keeping pace in a rapidly changing world. Open innovation — a model or methodology that intentionally expands beyond internal resources, inviting external innovators and partners to help advance a goal or solve a problem — can include initiatives like prize competitions, accelerators, hackathons, crowdsourcing, open data/research, participatory design, and open partnership models such as consortia.A number of survey respondents noted that open innovation is increasingly the norm, rather than a niche approach

PR Newswire
Oct 13th, 2023
Luminary Labs Awarded Barda Contract To Launch Project Nextgen Vaccine Innovation Prize Competitions

$100 million, five-year initiative targets improved vaccine technologies through prize competitions.NEW YORK, Oct. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Luminary Labs, a leader in accelerating innovation on behalf of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, today announced its partnership with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Luminary Labs will design, promote, and administer two prize competitions in support of Project NextGen's goal to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics, and enabling technologies.The two international prize competitions will focus on:Catalyzing the development of patch-based vaccine delivery technologies with an emphasis on the collection of clinical evidence with a path toward regulatory approval and commercialization. The prize competition is expected to launch in 2024, with up to $50 million in prizes.in prizes. Reducing the number of doses needed to achieve an effective immune response against a novel coronavirus or pandemic influenza

Recently Posted Jobs

Sign up to get curated job recommendations

Luminary Labs is Hiring for 4 Jobs on Simplify!

Find jobs on Simplify and start your career today

Don't see your dream role? Check out thousands of other roles on Simplify. Browse all jobs →