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Great Plains I-Corps: Ag45

Applications for this cohort are now closed.

The Great Plains I-Corps: Ag45 cohort is a 7-session program designed to help teams that are developing agriculture or ag-related technologies to validate their ideas and build a strong foundation for commercialization. 

Using the Lean Launchpad framework, participants will work through the Business Model Canvas in virtual and in-person workshops. Teams will conduct 45 customer discovery interviews, engaging directly with stakeholders across the agriculture ecosystem to test and refine their assumptions.  

SCHEDULE overview

Virtual Sessions (Thursdays | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM CST)
In-Person Experience (Sept 15–18) in Fargo, ND

detailed Schedule 

  • Orientation (Virtual) — Thursday, August 13 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CST)
  • Session 1 (Virtual) — Thursday, August 20 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CST)
  • Session 2 (Virtual) — Thursday, August 27 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CST)
  • Session 3 (Virtual) — Thursday, September 3 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CST)
  • Session 4 (Virtual) — Thursday, September 10 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CST)
  • *Session 5 (In-Person) (Fargo, ND) — Tuesday, September 15 | 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM (CST)
  • *Conference Day 1 (In-Person) (Fargo, ND) — Wednesday, September 16 
  • *Conference Day 2 (In-Person) (Fargo, ND) — Thursday, September 17
  • *Session 6  (In-Person) (Fargo, ND) — Friday, September 18 | 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CST)
  • Session 7 (Virtual) — Thursday, September 24 | 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (CST)

 

*In-person event details and times are subject to change.

Application Deadline: Monday, July 13

As part of the program, teams will attend two major in-person agriculture events: 

  • Big Iron Farm and Construction Show (Sept 15–17) – Fargo, ND 
  • Grand Farm’s Autonomous Nation Conference (Sept 17) – West Fargo, ND 

Travel and registration for these events are fully covered by the program, providing valuable opportunities to connect with potential customers and industry leaders. 

Each team is also eligible to receive $3,000 in participant support funding to support their time and customer discovery efforts. 

Ag45 is designed to help teams better understand the complexities of agriculture commercialization such as navigating cooperatives, identifying buyers, and adapting to different segments within the industry. By the end of the cohort, teams will leave with a validated commercialization plan grounded in real customer insights. 

 

Who should apply? 

Anyone developing an agriculture or ag-related innovation who is interested in exploring its path to commercialization. 

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Greg Bertsch

Greg Bertsch is currently an Assistant Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the University of South Dakota. Prior to teaching, Greg was Co-founder of biotech startups Halomine, Inc. and Antimicrobial Materials. Greg also has extensive industry experience, particularly in the automotive sector.

Elizabeth Hallgren

Elizabeth Hallgren is the founder of The Levain Group, a business growth training and coaching solutions firm.

She has been teaching the NSF I-Corps curriculum since 2015 through the University of Iowa and more recently the Great Plains Hub. Elizabeth’s current projects include providing curriculum expertise for the Global Insurance Accelerator and serving as a Business Advisor in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

Ryan Rains

Ryan Rains, MBA, MA, is the Director of Entrepreneurship Co-Curricular Programming at the University of Kansas School of Business. He is also the co-founder of Rains Advisory and Consulting Services and a licensed commercial real estate professional with Foundations Commercial Real Estate. Ryan holds an Educator Lab Certificate through the Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship and a Leadership Coaching Certificate through the Kansas Leadership Center. Before joining the University of Kansas, he worked in economic development. He brings a practical, real-world perspective to customer discovery, business model validation, and founder decision-making.