10 Big Challenges We’re Hungry to Tackle in 2026

As we welcome the New Year, our team got together to reflect and set our intention for how we want to make the world better in 2026.

So, in the spirit of bold declarations, here’s our team’s list of the big, complex, high-impact challenges we’re especially hungry to work on next.

We’re here for the work that’s messy, meaningful, and built to last. Cheers to 2026!

01. Say the Quiet Part Out Loud on Women’s Health

Stop treating endometriosis, menopause, fertility, and reproductive health like side quests. Put women’s bodies at the center of how we design care, workplaces, and culture—so talking about hormones is as normal (and supported) as talking about sleep or nutrition.

02. Push Beyond “Awareness.” to Build Mental Healthinto Daily Life.

We’ve graduated from awareness. It’s time to redesign the systems around us. Create tools, norms, and stories that make mental hygiene as standard as brushing your teeth—so regulation, rest, and support are built into everyday life, not reserved for crisis.

03. Build Trust in an Age of AI, Spin, and “Facts-ish”

When everything looks polished and true, trust becomes a scarce resource. Help communities decode what’s real, what’s engineered, and what actually matters—so people can make grounded decisions about their health, their future, and their planet.

04. Detox the Everyday, Not Just the Wellness Shelf

Invisible pollutants aren’t a niche concern; they’re baked into our clothes, products, and routines. Design practical, scalable ways for people and brands to clean up the basics—air, water, home, body—without shame, overwhelm, or perfectionism.

05. Treat Literacy as Power, Not Charity

Reading is not a nice-to-have; it’s how people access rights, opportunity, and voice. Build a world where every child grows up with joyful, evidence-based literacy—because democracy, fairness, and economic mobility all start with being able to read the story and the fine print.

06. Restore Dignity to Democracy

Democracy shouldn’t feel like a brawl or a broadcast. Design ways for people to be treated as co-creators of the systems that shape their lives—with real, ongoing power on their block, in their schools, and in their country, not just a ballot every few Novembers.

07. Flip the Food System from Convenient to Caring

What’s on our plates is a mirror of policy, profit, and soil—not just “willpower.” Reimagine the food system so that what we grow, sell, and eat actively supports human health, climate resilience, and dignity for farmers and food workers—not just convenience and margin.

08. Make the Clean Energy Transition Feel Human

The technology is racing ahead; people are stuck in the acronyms. Translate policies, incentives, and innovation into clear, human choices—so families, neighborhoods, and businesses know exactly how to plug in and benefit from a clean energy future.

09. Redesign Healthcare Around Respect, Not Just Access

“Access” is the floor, not the ceiling. Design care that listens first and sees the whole person—safe, trauma-informed, culturally grounded, and affordable—so no one has to fight bias, bureaucracy, and their body at the same time.

10. Treat Belonging as Essential Health Infrastructure

Loneliness isn’t a personal flaw; it’s a systems outcome. Build products, places, and narratives that make connection and community feel inevitable, not exceptional—because belonging should be as fundamental to health as clean water and sunlight.