The Ohio State University I-Corps - September 2026
2026-09-18 - 2026-10-09 | The Ohio State University, 1636 North High Street, Columbus, OH, 43201, United States
I-Corps taught by The Ohio State University. In-person attendance required. Location: Columbus, OH. Class sessions on Fridays, 9am-11:30am ET.

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Hosted by the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, The Ohio State University local NSF I-Corps program is an engaging, four-week training program for OSU faculty, staff, and students interested in exploring the market opportunity of their research. The Lean Launchpad approach is a proven process to help systematically test key assumptions about your technology/product/service and the customer problems it may solve.

Purdue University I-Corps - Fall 2026
2026-09-21 - 2026-11-13 | Virtual Event
I-Corps taught by Purdue University. Class sessions on Fridays, 9am-11am ET. Virtual and open to all Midwest innovators and researchers.

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Purdue I-Corps: Discovery will help you explore the commercial viability of your deep tech innovation idea/IP. We teach the Lean LaunchPad approach, a process to help you systematically test key assumptions about your technology and the customer problems it might be able to solve better than current alternatives. This “technology-problem fit” assessment is the critical first step toward commercial success for any technology venture. These courses are for researchers and students with deep-tech IP and a strong interest in commercializing their technology. Researchers from other Midwest universities are welcome to apply.

Asynchronous Program

Start Date: September 21, 2026
Deadline: Complete by October 2, 2026

Synchronous Virtual Workshops: All course events occur on Fridays from 9:00 am – 11:00 am ET

10/9, 10/16, 10/30, 11/13

University of Minnesota I-Corps - Fall 2026
2026-09-25 - 2026-11-06 | University of Minnesota, 222 Pleasant St SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, United States
I-Corps taught by the University of Minnesota. Class sessions on Fridays, 1pm-3pm CT. In-Person attendance required. Location: Minneapolis, MN

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You’ve identified a specific innovation that you think you may want to commercialize. Now what? The University of Minnesota Value Proposition Design program applies the Lean Startup approach and Customer Discovery methods to specific innovations. External industry executives, as well as experts from the Office for Technology Commercialization, the UMN Libraries, and the Carlson School of Management, will be available to help.
You’ll learn and apply the Lean LaunchPad customer development concepts promoted by the NSF I-Corps program. Successful completion of this program by academic teams or ventures with university-licensed technologies can lead to qualification for recommendation to the National I-Corps Teams program, which includes a $50,000 grant.

I-Corps Boost - Fall 2026
2026-10-09 - 2026-12-18 | Virtual Event
I-Corps Boost is a modular program designed for individuals who have completed a regional I-Corps program. The program can guide you through essential milestones and is well-suited for those seeking licensing or industry partnerships or those planning to launch their own startup. Virtual and open to eligible Midwest innovators and researchers.

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Iowa State I-Corps - Fall 2026
2026-10-21 - 2026-11-18 | Virtual Event
I-Corps taught by Iowa State University. Class sessions on Wednesdays, 5:30pm-7:30pm CT. Virtual and open to all Midwest innovators and researchers.

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The ISU I-Corps program is a training ground for faculty, postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students to learn how to increase the impact of their research by exploring the commercial potential of their research and technology. The five-week curriculum focuses on customer discovery to support the transition of ideas, devices, processes, or intellectual activities into the marketplace or for broader societal impact. This can be realized through the formation of new start-up businesses, licensing agreements, or identifying funding sources to support additional research.

The Ohio State University I-Corps - October 2026
2026-10-23 - 2026-11-13 | The Ohio State University, 1636 North High Street, Columbus, OH, 43201, United States

University of Michigan I-Corps - Fall 2026
2026-10-23 - 2026-12-04 | Virtual Event
I-Corps taught by the University of Michigan. Class sessions on Fridays, 9am-11am ET. Virtual and open to all Midwest innovators and researchers.

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This I-Corps course provides a set of skills and entrepreneurial knowledge that can be applied to any career path. It uses the Lean LaunchPad method to give participants a working knowledge of how to think about their innovation ideas from a business and customer perspective, as well as how to conduct customer discovery interviews; the first step in any commercialization process. This free, online course is for faculty, researchers, postdocs, and students interested in practicing and honing their innovation skills. It is open to non-university participants as well.

University of Iowa I-Corps - November 2026
2026-11-02 - 2026-11-30 | Virtual Event
I-Corps taught by the University of Iowa. Class sessions on Mondays, 4pm-6pm CT. Virtual and open to all Midwest innovators and researchers.

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The NSF I-Corps program at the University of Iowa, led by the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (JPEC), helps researchers, innovators, and early-stage startups explore the commercial potential of their work and make a real impact in the world. Through hands-on customer discovery and the Lean Startup approach, participants learn how to test assumptions, refine their value propositions, and better understand the people they aim to serve. This four-week program is open to faculty, graduate students, staff, and entrepreneurs developing STEM-based innovations or research-driven ideas. Participants work alongside experienced instructors and mentors to gain insights that shape smarter decisions around product development and market fit.
