UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO I-CORPS
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 designed for faculty, researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and students interested in developing and refining their innovation skills. It is also open to non-university participants.
Learning Objectives
- Familiarizing oneself with tools like customer discovery, ecosystem mapping, and the Value Proposition Canvas
- Understanding customers’ pain points from their perspective via interviews
- Mapping the customer ecosystem to comprehend customer roles, requirements, and decision processes
- Establishing connections with the commercial ecosystem, including customers, suppliers, and funders, for innovation
Benefits of the Program
- Develop best practices for conducting customer discovery and identifying key stakeholders
- Learn, practice, and hone your innovation skills. Improve the odds for commercial success
- Understand market trends and needs in your ecosystem
- Expand your network of like-minded peers, instructors, investors, customers, and mentors
- Obtain eligibility to apply for $50,000 grant from the National NSF I-Corps team grant (for deep tech, university-affiliated teams)
- Prepare for applying to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer programs
2026 Cohorts
- Spring 2026
- 3/17, 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/14, 4/21
- Class sessions 5:30pm CT – 7:30pm CT
- Registration for the spring cohort is closed.
- Fall 2026
- 9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, 10/2, 10/9
- Class sessions 9:30am CT – 11:30am CT
- Registration is open for the fall cohort.
Registration for the Fall Cohort is open!
- Free, Virtual Cohort
- Open to all Midwest innovators and researchers
- September 4 – October 9, 2026
- Class sessions on Fridays, at 9:30am CT
