I-Corps Node (Track 2): Promoting Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Southern California Region

Award ID: 1740721

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps Node project is to support technology commercialization in Los Angeles, the nation's second largest economy. Activities will include sharing new frameworks, courses, and methods for recruiting and nurturing historically underrepresented groups in engineering entrepreneurship, particularly through innovative recruiting practices and development of effective role models. Activities will form strong linkages between the university community and that of the surrounding Silicon Beach entrepreneurial ecosystem to provide a flow of meaningful technologies to the commercial market and experienced experts back to the university. This I-Corps Node project will lead cutting-edge programs in accelerating commercialization processes and outcomes. Node Training (Level 1) contributions include accelerating engagement in virtual /remote entrepreneurship training and creating novel courses that identify meaningful opportunities to explore in customer discovery, effectively creating a curriculum to precede I-Corps. Node Infrastructure (Level 2) contributions include scaling I-Corps education for corporate engagement and embedding this education at all levels, from freshman engineering majors to graduate students. In Level 3 (Research) activities, the Node will improve our understanding of: how and why business model education enhances both educational and economic outcomes for entrepreneurs; how policies regarding government grants separately support invention (creating new products and services based on scientific research) and innovation (ensuring that these products and services offer value); and the interactions between public and private markets in commercializing technologies.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman