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Resources and Training for Tech Innovators
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It's Official: Introducing IN I-Corps
NSF I-Corps Hub Interior Northeast logo.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Cornell University and nine partners a $15 million, five-year grant to lead the newly-established NSF I-Corps Hub: Interior Northeast Region (IN I-Corps). The Interior Northeast region that stretches from New Hampshire to West Virginia is representative of large portions of the United States that are largely rural, economically underserved, and working to restore economic vitality. IN I-Corps aims to expand the nation’s geography of innovation by creating a cohesive innovation ecosystem that delivers inclusive models of education and workforce training designed for and by innovators in rural regions and small cities.

Launching on January 1, Cornell will oversee and support the administration of I-Corps regional courses and entrepreneurial curriculum in collaboration with nine partner institutions: Dartmouth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, Syracuse University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Rochester, University of Vermont and West Virginia University. These ten institutions bring a strong track record of supporting deep technology innovation and have, among them, operated the UNY I-Corps Node and seven I-Corps Sites. Find the full release at in-icorps.org and read more on the Cornell Chronicle

Learn More About IN I-Corps
Celebrating the Accomplishments of the Node
UNY I-Corps Node. 2017-2022. 6 Years of Economic Impact. Since 2017, startup teams supported by the UNY I-Corps Node have had a tremendous economic impact on their home regions including: $116M capital raised, $15.3M SBIR funding, $25.1M revenue generated, and 130 new hires.

Since 2017, the UNY I-Corps Node has had the opportunity to connect with nearly 1,000 teams, host over 100 regional courses, and support startups that have gone on to raise tens of millions of dollars in capital. On behalf of the entire team at the UNY I-Corps Node, we’re extremely grateful to all our partners and participants for their support and collaboration over the past six years. In 2022 alone, the Node hosted 16 regional courses for 132 teams, sent 12 teams to NSF I-Corps Teams, and trained 70 instructors across the Node and NSF National Innovation Network (NIN). Learn more about the Node's impact on our blog. 

Moving Forward: Our Newsletter

Beginning in 2023, this newsletter will transition from covering the
UNY I-Corps Node to the NSF I-Corps Hub: Interior Northeast (IN I-Corps).

We're excited to have you continue on this I-Corps journey with us!

 
Highlights from 2022
a group of people stand in front of a window
GEM Fellows I-Corps Course Celebrates Diversity and Inclusion in Entrepreneurship
This past summer, the UNY I-Corps Node and National GEM Consortium's i4 Initiative hosted a hybrid regional course for GEM Fellows. Learn more and meet the participants!
professional headshot of a woman
I-Corps Alum Engineers Bacteria to Make Green Energy Technology Cleaner
I-Corps alumni startup REEgen is using biological engineering to make the extraction and purification of rare earth elements more environmentally friendly.
transfr logo
I-Corps Alum Transfr Raises $35 Million in Series B Funding
Transfr, an I-Corps alumni company and virtual reality job training startup, raised $35 million in a Series B funding round led by Lumos Capital Group. Transfr completed the Node’s SBIR Phase 0 pilot program in 2018.
Recognizing the Node's Instructors
The UNY I-Corps Node would like to recognize and thank all the instructors who have provided their time and expertise to I-Corps programming and enriched the entrepreneurial journeys of our participants. We encourage our readers to check out the Instructor Spotlights on our blog to learn more about our dedicated teaching team. 
Headshot of Mike Riedlinger
"My motivation comes from my own experiences — lows as well as highs — from my entrepreneurial journeys. I-Corps provides a great framework for aspiring entrepreneurs to learn about the breadth of connections needed for commercializing technologies, which took me many years to understand. Seeing a student’s energy shift when the moment of discovery hits them is my reward in being an I-Corps instructor."

Michael Riedlinger
Managing Director
Scale for ClimateTech
Headshot of Kerry Coffee
"I’ve learned over the years that a product’s success or failure is often determined by elements that are typically overlooked. How will the product affect existing workflows? Who will pay for it, and how do they buy? Are there existing misconceptions about the technology? The best way to find the answer to these questions is by talking directly with customers. I love that I-Corps teaches this method, because it’s not enough just to have a great product - you need to understand your customer."

Kerry Coffee
Founder
Schiller Discovery, LLC


 
Headshot of Paul Petrovich
"Focus on your customer and become intimate with the jobs that they do. Find opportunities to enhance their lives. Ensure that you are passionate, and adopt an Apollo 13 attitude: “Failure is not an option.” True entrepreneurs make things happen."

Paul Petrovich
Assistant Director of Business Development
Pitt Innovation Institute

 
Upcoming I-Corps Opportunities
NSF I-Corps Information Session
Thursday, January 26 (12:00 - 12:45 p.m. ET) - Virtual
NSF I-Corps Information Session. Thursday, January 26. 12-12:45 pm ET. Virtual.

Calling all researchers! If you have been working on a technology innovation and wish to explore its commercialization potential, I-Corps can provide you with entrepreneurial education, mentoring, and up to $50,000 in funding.  

Hosted by the newly established NSF I-Corps Hub: Interior Northeast (IN I-Corps), the virtual NSF I-Corps Information Session on Thursday, January 26 (12:00 – 12:45 p.m. ET) is designed for busy graduate students, postdocs, and faculty interested in learning more about I-Corps regional and national programming. I-Corps instructors and alumni will be in attendance to share their experiences and answer your questions.  

The National Science Foundation created I-Corps (Innovation Corps) to bridge the gap between fundamental research discoveries in science and engineering and the commercialization of technologies, products, and processes with the potential to benefit society. 

Upcoming IN I-Corps Regional Courses
Winter 2023
Apply now for an upcoming IN I-Corps virtual regional course. In this month long course, researchers working on a deep tech innovation will “get out of their comfort zone” and talk with customers to identify the best product-market fit. Regional courses are offered year-round - check back regularly for new dates.
Apply for I-Corps Teams
Spring 2023
NSF is currently accepting applications for national I-Corps Teams Spring 2023 cohorts. Spaces for this program fill up quickly, so interested research teams should apply now! I-Corps Teams is an intensive seven-week innovation and entrepreneurship training course with mentoring and up to $50,000 in NSF funding.
 
All 2023 I-Corps Teams cohorts will be held virtually. Customer discovery interviews may be conducted by phone, video conferencing or in person. To conduct in-person interviews, you will need to follow your university's travel guidance and policies. For more information, reach out to Shannon Ellis at
sts63@cornell.edu.
Other Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Runway Startup Postdoc Program
Apply by Feb. 15 - Based in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute
Jacobs Institute at Cornell Tech. Runway Startup Postdoc Program

Applications for Postdoc positions at the Runway Startup program are now open!

The Runway Startup Postdoc Program at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech is part business school, part research institution, and part startup incubator. Startup Postdocs arrive with ideas for unproven products and markets that require time and specialized guidance to develop. We provide a package that includes a salary, research budget, space, and more. All you need is a PhD and an idea to submit an application, nothing else – no application fee is required.

Join Runway and Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute at Cornell Tech and get an opportunity to start your company in NYC. Attend an information session and apply here by February 15, 2023.

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The Upstate New York I-Corps Node harnesses the entrepreneurial knowledge of experienced mentors and faculty from the nation’s top university R&D region; it is a hub for commercialization training in the Northeast, connecting researchers to valuable resources through national and regional I-Corps programs.
Copyright © 2022 UNY I-Corps. All rights reserved.


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