Introducing Firefly Innovations
Firefly Innovations is the premier public health entrepreneurship platform of the City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH), which identifies, cultivates, accelerates, and scales high-impact ventures that tackle the most pressing public health challenges. Firefly Innovations is unique as the first public health entrepreneurship platform at a graduate school of public health in the U.S. With a focus on health equity and founders with lived experience of the issues they aim to solve, Firefly Innovations connects diverse entrepreneurs, public health professionals, funders, researchers, and advocates to drive transformative change.
Visionary Leadership
At the heart of Firefly Innovations is Dr. Terry Huang—Founder of Firefly, Distinguished Professor, and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management at CUNY SPH. A recognized global leader in public health innovation, Dr. Huang is dedicated to supporting groundbreaking, transformative solutions to complex health issues. He understands that the complex challenges we face today—ranging from chronic diseases to health inequities—cannot be solved by any single solution or individual effort. Driven by this belief, Dr. Huang has shaped Firefly Innovations into a dynamic force at the intersection of health equity and entrepreneurship.
Under his leadership, Firefly provides critical resources, mentorship, and networks that allow public health entrepreneurs to come together, engage in intellectual exchange, and scale solutions capable of transforming entire communities. His dedication has made Firefly Innovations more than just a platform; it’s a movement empowering bold, visionary leaders to turn public health challenges into actionable, scalable solutions, revolutionizing the way we address public health crises worldwide.
Collaborative Approach
Recognizing the imperative to scale the vital work of Firefly Innovations, Terry Huang brought on W. Michael Short, an award-winning entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in planning, launching, and scaling mission-driven ventures. Short has been highlighted for fostering high-impact initiatives that have gained recognition from prestigious platforms, including the White House, a $100 million Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative, features in Huffington Post's "What's Working: Small Business," and CBS News Radio's New York City Small Business Spotlight for making economics and finance interesting, fun, and understandable, as well as being featured as a Forbes Editors’ Pick for leveling the playing field for small businesses.
In January 2023, Short assumed the newly created role of Managing Director, tasked with leading an ambitious expansion of Firefly Innovations. His expertise spans a wide range of sectors, including economic development, community engagement, and cross-sector partnerships, which have collectively engaged over a million businesses and organizations globally. Short's projects have received more than 100 media highlights and are anticipated to generate an economic and community impact exceeding one billion dollars, as projected by university partners. His leadership is poised to significantly amplify Firefly's mission.
Together, he and Terry form a dynamic leadership team, collaborating with a dedicated community of partners to extend Firefly’s reach and accelerate public health ventures. Their shared vision prioritizes mutually beneficial collaboration, leveraging their unique expertise to scale Firefly and create lasting change in public health on a global scale.
Global Momentum in Public Health Innovation
With the unwavering support of a dedicated community of partners, Firefly has expanded into a thriving global network of thousands of public health professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, funders, students, and advocates, all committed to addressing today’s most urgent public health challenges.
In 2024, Firefly’s signature program, the CUNY Public Health Innovation Accelerator, marked a historic year of growth for the second consecutive year. Drawing a record 230 applicants from 35 countries, the accelerator achieved a 50% increase in supported ventures and a remarkable 190% rise in individual entrepreneurs receiving assistance. The momentum extended to the 2024 Annual Showcase, where average viewership on YouTube Live soared to 3,219—a 3,000% increase from 2023, setting a new benchmark for community engagement. This success, powered by strategic partnerships with key supporters like KPMG and the collaborative leadership of Dr. Terry Huang and W. Michael Short, reinforces Firefly’s commitment to empowering public health innovators on a global scale.
Since its inception, the CUNY Public Health Innovation Accelerator has delivered over 4,000 hours of pro-bono mentorship, professional services, consulting, and entrepreneurial development, helping founders scale impactful solutions worldwide. Through this extensive support, the CUNY Public Health Innovation Accelerator has empowered 101 entrepreneurs from 42 ventures across 17 countries. Notably, 90% of these ventures are minority-led, and 50% are women-led, underscoring Firefly’s dedication to inclusive innovation that creates jobs, secures millions in funding, and initiates transformative pilot projects worldwide. By fostering sustainable, community-focused solutions, Firefly continues to drive measurable public health impact on a global scale.
Health Equity Startup Hub
In 2024, building on its growing momentum, Managing Director W. Michael Short announced the expansion of Firefly Collective, the platform’s enhanced web portal and online community, into a Global Health Equity Startup Hub. This initiative will provide year-round support, resources, and connections to public health innovators worldwide.
Despite experiencing record growth this year, the demand for assistance from innovators exceeded the capacity of Firefly’s programs. Even with a 190% increase in the number of entrepreneurs supported, Firefly Innovations was able to offer direct programmatic assistance to fewer than 8% of applicants.
Firefly Collective addresses this gap by providing broader access, resources, and opportunities to its global network of public health innovators.
“Last year, we committed to expanding access to our platform,” said W. Michael Short, Managing Director of Firefly Innovations and the CUNY Public Health Innovation Accelerator. “Today, we're delivering on that commitment.”
The Firefly Collective offers a comprehensive ecosystem where members can forge strategic partnerships, collaborate on innovative solutions, and advance their work. It provides access to funding opportunities, research collaborations, mentorship, and professional development resources for public health innovators worldwide.
Uniting Communities for Collective Impact
As part of this expansion, the Firefly Collective will integrate support for the NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center (PRC) and the CUNY Center for Systems and Community Design (CSCD). By connecting these communities through Firefly Collective, Firefly Innovations solidifies its position as a global leader in public health innovation, ensuring that breakthrough research and solutions are rapidly scaled and deployed. This fosters a vibrant ecosystem where academia, public health, and entrepreneurship unite to shape the future of global health.
The Prevention Research Centers (PRC) Program, established by Congress in 1984, funds 26 academic research centers across the United States, each committed to reducing health disparities by studying how communities can prevent or counter the risks of chronic illnesses, including HIV, heart disease, obesity, and cancer. The PRC network develops and evaluates practical, community-based public health interventions and disseminates findings broadly across affected communities. This collaboration strengthens our shared mission by ensuring that innovative, research-based solutions are rapidly deployed where they are needed most.
CUNY Center for Systems and Community Design (CSCD) brings its expertise in systems thinking and public health innovation, with a track record that speaks for itself: since 2016, under the leadership of Dr. Terry Huang, CUNY CSCD has produced over 330 publications and secured more than $20 million in grant funding. The Center’s focus on applying systems science and design methodologies to public health challenges enhances the ability to address complex, structural issues at both the community and population levels.
Shaping the Future of Public Health
The remarkable growth and impact of Firefly Innovations stem from the visionary leadership of Dr. Ayman El-Mohandes, Dean of CUNY SPH, and Dr. Terry Huang, Founder of Firefly Innovations and the CUNY Center for Systems & Community Design. Dr. Huang’s pioneering efforts have positioned Firefly Innovations at the forefront of public health entrepreneurship, catalyzing innovation that directly addresses the most pressing health crises of our time.
“Under Dean El-Mohandes' guidance, CUNY SPH has emerged as a powerhouse of public health education, now ranked in the top 10% of all public health programs in the U.S. and recognized as the #1 public school of public health in New York City, New York State, and the region,” said W. Michael Short, Managing Director of Firefly Innovations. “With the support of our Dean, Terry’s visionary leadership is the driving force behind Firefly Innovations, transforming it into the nation’s premier platform for public health entrepreneurship.”
Join the Movement
At Firefly Innovations, we are igniting a new era of public health impact — and we invite you to be a part of it. Whether you're an entrepreneur, a public health professional, a researcher, or a funder, Firefly is your platform to collaborate, innovate, and lead public health solutions. Together, we can solve critical public health challenges we face and make a lasting impact on communities globally.