They Knew the Technology. I-Corps Helped Them Find the Customer.
June 23, 2026
FrackOp came into I-Corps confident they understood their market. Customer discovery showed them just how much they had left to learn.
FrackOp came into I-Corps confident they understood their market. Customer discovery showed them just how much they had left to learn.
For Aditya, innovation didn’t begin with a perfectly defined product. It began with curiosity and a desire to solve real-world problems. Like many early-stage researchers, he had promising technology, but no clear path to impact. That changed when Aditya began structured customer discovery through I-Corps. “Before I-Corps, my customer wasn’t a specific person—I just had a general idea of who
For Amie Norton, I-Corps was not about launching a startup right away. It was about understanding whether her research could translate into meaningful use outside of academic settings. https://youtube.com/shorts/oMonSHN_dEU?feature=share Entering the program as a faculty researcher, Amie wanted to explore how a laboratory-based technology might move toward application. Through I-Corps, she gained tools to test assumptions, engage potential customers,
At the core of every I-Corps journey lies a clear problem and an idea to solve it. For Sheila Fields, owner of BFields Solutions, Inc., and a past participant in the Great Plains I-Corps Program, the problem is antibiotic overuse and the consequences it has for patients and healthcare systems alike. Partnering with Dr. Scott Campbell and his research team,
When Bella Peterson first joined the I-Corps program, she was a college student with curiosity and a willingness to learn. Through University of North Dakota’s Center for Innovation, Bella connected with Russell Schell of RJ Energy Solutions to assist him with customer discovery throughout the 5-week program. Originally, their technology focused on repurposing wasted heat from commercial kitchens to improve
What started as a need to improve online learning for his personal computer science studies soon led Kian Ansarinajed and his sister Melika to think bigger. “Initially, I needed a platform with the features I wanted—that was my first step. But, as I talked with friends and proceeded with customer discovery, I learned about the common challenges people faced while
When Dr. Cathy Off and her team joined I-Corps, they were still discovering how to develop and market a technology that would enhance the lives of stroke survivors with aphasia. Learn more about their journey!
In the world of entrepreneurship, the journey from idea to market is often filled with challenges, pivots, and learning experiences. For Ryan Rykhus and Lisa MacFadden the I-Corps program has been no different.
A Chat with Kristin Di Bona of Wyonics
Dentifrice Advances, a team from University of South Dakota, shares their insights on completing the NSF National I-Corps training.