I-Corps Sites - Type I: George Washington University I-Corps Site for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

George Washington University, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

This project, from George Washington University, creates an I-Corps Site at this institution. NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors. The George Washington University Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OI&E) collaborates with multiple units on campus to dramatically increase student and faculty teams from the STEM disciplines in OI&E innovation and commercialization activities. There is a strong network of mentors who are key in this process. OI&E developed multiple versions of the Lean Startup curriculum and will continue to do so to meet the special needs of undergraduate students, women, minorities, and veterans in the STEM disciplines. OI&E is also creating courseware in support of experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and business professionals who have not yet learned to apply lean startup methods. Doing so brings value to an entire startup ecosystem that is important to startup success. The broader impacts include spreading entrepreneurial thinking among the faculty, developing a well-trained cadre of mentors and adding to the diversity of the pool of mentors, especially women and veterans. These are important goals in entrepreneurship and commercialization and the project is specific about how this Site will advance these broader impacts.