Are you interested in taking your innovative idea, technology, or process commercial?
Entrepreneurial-minded graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and local community members are invited to apply. The program is structured around the Lean Startup methodologies and principles used by NSF’s National I-Corps. The NSF-funded I-Corps program’s goal is to foster entrepreneurship for commercializing technology through customer discovery.
Schedule
Orientation: Tuesday, May 19, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)Session 1: Tuesday, May 26, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)Session 2: Tuesday, June 2, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)Session 3: Tuesday, June 9, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)Session 4: Tuesday, June 16, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)Session 5: Tuesday, June 23, 11am – 1:00pm (CST)
Application Deadline: Sunday, May 03
Learning Objectives
- Develop and test customer hypotheses and problem hypotheses
- Build an understanding of Learn Launchpad concepts such as customer discovery, ecosystem mapping and value proposition
- Map your customer ecosystem to understand customer roles, key players and how decisions are made
- Conduct 20+ customer discovery interviews
- Build connections with the commercial ecosystem, including customers, suppliers, and funders, for innovation.
Program Benefits
- Gain eligibility for the NSF I-Corps National Program and $50,000 grant for qualifying technologies and teams (only deep-tech, university-based teams who complete at least 20 customer discovery interviews)
- Increase chances of receiving commercialization grants such as Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.
- Gain valuable market insight to inform the next steps for creating impact from your idea
- Gain an exceptional professional development experience appropriate for any career path—academic, industry, startup or other
- Expand your network of like-minded peers, instructors, investors, customers, and mentors.
- Learn, practice and hone your innovation skills
- Participant Support Funding – depending on your university affiliation, Entrepreneurial Leads may be eligible for $1,000 to be used towards your customer discovery efforts