This week-long series of events will be hosted across the great plains region, featuring different workshops, networking opportunities, and discussions aimed at fostering innovation in our communities. All events are free and most will offer both in-person or online attendance options.
Monday, September 16
10:00 am – 11:00 am CT
I-Corps Innovation Week Kick-Off
1:00 pm CT
Pathways to Entrepreneurship for International Students
This webinar hosted by the University of South Dakota will cover different pathways and visa options for international students wanting to pursue entrepreneurship in the U.S. Sophie Alcorn, Founder & CEO of Alcorn Law, and Kasie Heiden, Associate Director of the Gallagher International Center at USD, will be presenting.
Register: http://link.usd.edu/pathways
5:00 pm – 8:30 pm MT
Engineers make great entrepreneurs speaker dinner
Engineers Make Great Entrepreneurs (EMGE) is a speaker series and scholarship competition for South Dakota School of Mines & Technology students interested in entrepreneurship and starting their own business. This four-week program features presentations from successful entrepreneurs, including alumni and local and national business leaders. Main themes apply to success in college, careers, and life.
EMGE is designed to engage students with exciting content and features new venue locations, new speakers, complementary meals, and the opportunity to learn from real-world entrepreneurs and business leaders each week.
Register: https://interact.sdsmt.edu/economic-development/EMGE/
tuesday, September 17
3:00 pm – 4:30 pm CT
Innovate & Launch: Speaker Event
An in-person speaker event hosted by North Dakota State University featuring Noel Anderson, Eric Gjerdevig, and Lisa Esberger. They will cover a range of topics, including patents and provisioning, customer discovery, founder journeys, and how to utilize resources available in the state. An online option for attendance will be available as well.
Location: Memorial Union – Prairie Rose Room
Register: https://bit.ly/innovateandlaunch
8:00 am – 3:00 pm CT
2024 BioScience Summit
Organized by the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC), BioScience Association of North Dakota (BioND), North Dakota Department of Agriculture, and the North Dakota Department of Commerce. This event showcases leading innovators in the region. There will be presentations from Great Plains I-Corps Hub instructors, Dr. Amy Whitney, Dr. Steve Hanlon, and Dr. Greg Bertsch.
Location: Avalon Events Center, 2525 9th Avenue South Fargo, ND, 58103
Register: https://gfmedc.com/industries/bioscience/bioscience-summit/
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm CT
2024 Bioscience summit: Networking Social
An in-person networking event sponsored by NDSU Office of Research & Creative Activity following day one of the 2024 BioScience Summit.
Location: Avalon Events Center, 2525 9th Avenue South Fargo, ND, 58103
Register: https://gfmedc.com/industries/bioscience/bioscience-summit/
wednesday, September 18
8:00 am – 3:00 pm CT
2024 BioScience Summit
Organized by the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation (GFMEDC), BioScience Association of North Dakota (BioND), North Dakota Department of Agriculture, and the North Dakota Department of Commerce. This event showcases leading innovators in the region. There will be presentations from Great Plains I-Corps Hub instructors, Dr. Amy Whitney, Dr. Steve Hanlon, and Dr. Greg Bertsch.
Location: Avalon Events Center, 2525 9th Avenue South Fargo, ND, 58103
Register: https://gfmedc.com/industries/bioscience/bioscience-summit/
thursday, September 19
8:30 am – 3:00 pm CT
NSF SBIR/STTR: Proposal Preparation Intensive Workshop
Join UND’s SBIR Classroom for an interactive, full-day, intensive of the National Science Foundation (NSF) SBIR/STTR grant program. In addition to up-to-date information on the SBIR/STTR programs, we’ll take a deep dive into the NSF program specifics so you’re equipped to submit a successful proposal.
Location: UND Center for Innovation, 4200 James Ray Drive Grand Forks, ND 58203
10:00 am – 11:00 am CT
NDSU Research & Technology Park’s innovation studio tour
The NDSU Research & Technology Park’s Innovation Studio tour provides a behind-the-scenes look at a vibrant maker-space where creativity and innovation flourish. Entrepreneurs, students, and faculty in the Fargo-Moorhead area will explore cutting-edge equipment and a collaborative environment designed to bring ideas to life and support the development of prototypes and new possibilities.
Location: 1854 NDSU Research Circle N. Fargo, North Dakota 58102
10:00 am – 4:00 pm MT
university of wyoming i-corps cohort kick-off
Teams will engage in an experiential learning process centered around customer discovery. The course is specifically designed to equip teams with the necessary skills to effectively design products and services that offer tangible benefits to customers. participating in this course, teams will gain valuable insights that can be used to develop a focused commercialization strategy that facilitates the transition of technology from the lab to the marketplace. Participants who complete the 5-week program are awarded up to $1,000 in funding to conduct customer interviews and develop their inventions. Application deadline is Thursday, September 5th.
Apply: https://bit.ly/UniversityofWyomingCohort
Learn more: https://gp-icorps.org/events/university-of-wyoming-regional-cohort/
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CT
Applying I-Corps to Your Research
Join our I-Corps Information Session to get an understanding of what the I-Corps program is and how it can broaden the impact of your research!
Register: https://ndsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIucOivrjguHdP_sSOJKYzSDfknooVKSK1Q#/registration
3:00 pm CT
South Dakota State University Pitch Competition
Teams are invited to pitch their ideas for new products, services, and innovations that could lead to a startup company. This is a rapid-fire pitch contest where teams will be given a limit of 10 slides and 5 minutes to quickly pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Judges will have a few minutes to ask questions and provide feedback.
Register: Contact Todd Letcher (todd.letcher@sdstsate.edu)
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm MT
Entrepreneurial Mindset in Academia & Networking Strategies
Join the University of Montana and Blackstone LaunchPad for a session focusing on blending innovation with essential career skills. Learn from successful entrepreneurs as they share their insights, personal strategies, experiences, and tips that can be used academically and professionally.
friday, September 20
8:30 am – 3:00 pm CT
NIH SBIR/STTR Program Overview Workshop
Join UND’s SBIR Classroom for an interactive, half-day, training on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) SBIR/STTR program covering grant mechanisms, research project qualities, program officer outreach, web tools, and common pitfalls.
Location: UND Center for Innovation, 4200 James Ray Drive Grand Forks, ND 58203
10:00 am – 10:45 am CT
Leads on linkedin
This event focuses on leveraging LinkedIn to find potential leads for customer discovery, emphasizing the importance of utilizing your network. Max Green from Ratio Flux, management coach for the Great Plains I-Corps Hub, will guide you on targeting individuals in specific industries and crafting effective cold outreach scripts to schedule interviews for the NSF I-Corps program.
Register: https://ndsu.zoom.us/j/93205356036?pwd=kQ27PG0wVbQOjjqgTLGmCpnT7YlQXE.1
Tuesday, September 24
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CT
Introduction to Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights with Fargo Patent & Business Law
A presentation hosted by the Jamestown Regional Entrepreneur Center, from Tom Kading, owner of Fargo Patent & Business Law, as we discuss the basics of entities and how intellectual property is used. We will also discuss examples of how businesses have protected and used intellectual property.
Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0pcumsrTosE9C8wJffE1QNh61qR-5UO36I
thursday, September 26
TBD
2024 Breakthrough Weekend
The University of Nebraska Omaha’s 2024 Breakthrough Weekend invites participants to form teams, develop business concepts, build prototypes, and pitch their ideas for cash prizes. Hosted by the Center for Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Franchising at UNO, the event offers coaching from local entrepreneurs and the chance to connect with Omaha’s startup community.
Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/uw1jav1Sk8
Friday, September 27
9:00 am – 11:00 am CT
University of Nebraska Omaha Regional I-Corps Kick-Off
The University of Omaha’s Regional I-Corps courses are for faculty, researchers, and students with technology-based innovation ideas or Intellectual Property and a strong interest in commercializing their technology. Upon submitting an application, teams will be contacted by the Great Plains Hub regarding program acceptance. Participants who complete the 5-week program are awarded up to $1,000 in funding to conduct customer interviews and develop their inventions. This course is free for all participants and the application deadline is September 13th.
Apply here: https://bit.ly/3ASAQhK
Learn more: https://gp-icorps.org/events/university-of-nebraska-omaha-regional-cohort/