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Trenton, NJ — Headquarters

One Door. One Story. Shared Intake.

POP LABS Innovation Hubs fix fragmentation in non-medical social services by coordinating systems, reducing duplication, and protecting public dollars through measurable outcomes.

POP LABS Innovation Hubs is a for-profit social enterprise that designs and facilitates coordinated social service and workforce systems.

The problem isn't funding — it's fragmentation.

Across cities, counties, and states, non-medical social services are funded through dozens of disconnected programs. When systems don't coordinate, people repeat intake, services overlap, and public dollars pay for duplication instead of outcomes.

Fragmentation isn't theoretical. It's measurable — and it's costly.

$9.9B
NJ Social Services Spend
Non-medical services (FY24)
40%
Lost to Duplication
~$3.96B in duplicated cost
35–45%
Recoverable
$1.39B–$1.78B annually

For Government & Funders: Fragmentation increases cost, weakens oversight, and makes outcomes harder to verify.

The State Auditor confirms what communities already know.

The Office of Legislative Services State Auditor confirms the core issue: fragmentation, weak coordination, and gaps in grant monitoring. Temporary pilots and one-off programs cannot solve a permanent coordination problem. POP LABS is built as infrastructure — not another program layered onto an already fragmented system.

For Oversight, Compliance, and Policy Leaders: POP LABS directly responds to auditor findings calling for coordination, stronger monitoring, and permanent systems-level solutions.

The current way sends people in circles. POP LABS connects the system.

Today, the burden of coordination sits on the person seeking help. They retell their story, restart paperwork, and wait while systems operate in silos. POP LABS flips that model. We create one front door into fragmented systems so individuals tell their story once — and providers coordinate behind the scenes through shared intake and warm handoffs.

Who plugs into this system

Service Providers & Nonprofits

No competing intake. Clear handoff standards. Shared outcomes reporting.

Government Agencies

Reduced duplication. Cleaner data. Measurable throughput across programs.

Community-Based Organizations

Lower administrative burden. Faster client completion. Real collaboration — not referrals.

What coordination looks like in practice.

Inside a POP LABS Innovation Hub, services don't just co-exist — they coordinate in real time. Small and mid-sized nonprofits share space and standards. Larger nonprofits and state organizations rotate in to reduce bottlenecks. The result is faster completion, fewer redundancies, and cleaner reporting.

Co-located Providers

Small and mid-sized nonprofits working side-by-side

Shared Coordination

Case managers and navigators completing warm handoffs

One-Stop Access

Residents and families tell their story once

Space for Partners

Room for larger nonprofits, hospitals, workforce boards, and state agencies

Revenue that reinforces trust — not privilege.

POP LABS operates through public-private partnerships designed to keep incentives aligned. Government partners cover operating costs up front. POP LABS earns performance fees only when verified savings are achieved. If savings are not verified, POP LABS does not get paid. This model protects public dollars while ensuring coordination actually delivers results.

For Government Partners — Upfront operating support. No payment without verified savings.
For Funders & Anchors — Philanthropy de-risks early implementation and stretches public funding.
For Service Providers — Participation without financial risk. Access to shared infrastructure.

The rule is simple: the public wins first.

Government retains 80% of verified savings. POP LABS earns 20%, only from verified recovered waste. As scale increases, the percentage may step down — but the rule stays the same: no verified savings, no performance payment.

POP LABS does not profit from need. We earn from results.

New Jersey first. Then replicate.

POP LABS is built to prove coordination locally and scale responsibly. We start in Trenton, expand to Mercer County, and replicate statewide — creating a repeatable coordination layer that counties and states can adopt without rebuilding systems from scratch.

Counties & Regional Authorities

Adopt the POP LABS coordination framework

States & Multi-County Compacts

Standardize shared intake and reporting

National Anchors

Support replication across jurisdictions

5 hubs over 5 years 1,200 residents Year 1 $8.21M cost for innovation

Here's what launching in Trenton looks like — step by step.

POP LABS launches through a two-step implementation strategy designed for proof and scale.

Step 1

Trenton Flagship (East Ward)

Launch operations, shared intake, warm handoffs, and performance tracking.

Step 2

Major-Hub Trenton System

Secure a larger permanent facility to support full co-location, training, and citywide coordination.

This isn't about aesthetics. It's about capacity.

What partners bring to the table.

Sustainable coordination requires more than goodwill. POP LABS succeeds when partners align around clear roles.

Government — Authority, funding, and interagency alignment
Nonprofits — Service delivery and collaboration
Funders — Bridge capital and early support
Institutions — Facilities, data-sharing, and legitimacy

Infrastructure outlasts turnover.

Ready to transform New Jersey?

POP LABS is ready to launch in Trenton. Coordination is no longer optional — it's the unlock.

Connect Us

County and municipal leaders

Workforce boards

State agency champions

Get in Touch

Partner With Us

Nonprofits ready for co-location

Service providers

Faith-based and community organizations

Partner With Us

Invite Us

Local coalitions and councils

Community forums

Leadership briefings

Request a Briefing

Catherine Sackey, MPAP — Founder & CEO

CSackey@CatherineSackey.com | (732) 290-5320