2023 I-Corps Annual Meeting

Our annual meeting exemplifies our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration.

Held Wednesday, October 18, 2023 at Princeton University, the I-Corps Northeast Hub annual meeting attracted researchers exploring startup opportunities, seasoned entrepreneurs, and those who are enthusiastic about the intersection of technology and innovation.

View photos from the event, read our event recap story, and see the list of sessions and speakers below.

Photo gallery

Check out the excitement from the 2023 Northeast I-Corps Hub annual meeting!

_{A selection of photos from the I-Corps Annual Meeting, held Oct. 18, 2023. Photos are by Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy}

Science and entrepreneurship converge at I-Corps Northeast Hub annual meeting

By Alaina O'Regan

More than half a million patent applications arrive at the U.S. Patent Office each year, but how many make it into tangible innovations that benefit society? On October 18th, researchers and entrepreneurs came together at Princeton University to find answers to this challenge at the first-annual meeting of the I-Corps Northeast Hub.

“Innovation is not just about creating something new,” said Dr. Calvin Mackie, the event's keynote speaker who...

Read the article.

Meeting Overview

Participants at the meeting were able to:

Connect with entrepreneurial mentors and industry leaders.
Celebrate your path toward entrepreneurial goals, startup formation, and new ventures.
Grow your knowledge-base by meeting experts from a diverse range of disciplines and industries, and establish connections that can drive your projects and initiatives forward.

Agenda Highlights:

Keynote speakers from the forefront of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Panel discussions on emerging trends and opportunities in various sectors.
Breakout sessions focused on skill-building, best practices, and interactive workshops.
Poster sessions showcasing cutting-edge research and its potential for commercialization.
Networking sessions designed to facilitate meaningful connections.

About the I-Corps Northeast Hub: Funded by the National Science Foundation, the I-Corps Northeast Hub is a community of 10 universities plus community partners who are growing the impact of their research and technologies through innovation. All programs are free and open to any researchers and innovators, regardless of affiliation, throughout the Northeast.

Agenda

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Networking

Location: Upper and Lower Atrium

Details:

Networking + perusing I-Corps posters: alumni teams & research projects

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM | Welcome and Opening Remarks

Location: Auditorium 101

Details:

Review agenda for the day and introduce directors
Recap 2023 Achievements and Preview of 2024

Speakers:

10:15 AM - 10:45 AM | Keynote

Location: Auditorium 101

Speakers:

10:45 AM - 11:00 AM | Networking Break and I-Corps Poster Session

Location: Upper and Lower Atrium

Details:

Network and peruse alumni team posters.

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM | Concurrent Sessions

Auditorium 101: Careers Beyond the University: Pathways to Entrepreneurship

Details: I-Corps is a great avenue to jump start your career in entrepreneurship. Learn and interact directly from our panelists what it takes to arrive at these careers, the challenges as well as what keeps them running.
Speakers

Bowl 04: The I-Corps Fellowship: Engaging Students and Post-Docs to Broaden Participation and Increase I-Corps Team Success

Details: The I-Corps Fellowship is a unique opportunity for students and post-docs from underrepresented groups to join an existing I-Corps team and explore innovation and the commercialization process. During the Fellowship, students participate in an I-Corps cohort where they gain skills, grow their network and earn an NSF-Funded stipend. Hear about the program’s impact from a panel of previous fellows.
Speakers

Bowl 006: A Review of Hub Evaluation and Research Efforts, Findings and Future Plans

Details: This session will provide an in-depth look at the Hub's impact in 2023. It will offer a summary of evaluation results for 2023, followed by presentations of some of the research projects currently being conducted by the Hub research project awardees.
Speakers

Bowl 08: Recruitment Strategies: Combining student, instructor, and faculty initiatives on engaging and retaining I-Corps teams

Details: This breakout brings together multiple perspectives on key activities that fuel not only recruitment success at the university level but also encourage the retention of talent and further engagement in I-Corps and beyond.
Speakers

11:45 AM - 12:30 PM | Lunch

Location: Lower Atrium

12:30 PM - 12:45 PM | Networking Break

Location: Upper and Lower Atrium

Details:

Network and peruse alumni team posters.

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM | Concurrent Sessions

Auditorium 101: Next steps in the Innovation Ecosystem: On-Ramps and Off-Ramps

Details: You've completed the Propelus regional I-Corps Program! What's next? There are many pathways to take in our Regional Innovation Ecosystem to advance your team's technology venture forward and it is rarely a straight line! We want you to feel confident about Next Steps like National I-Corps, SBIR, Venture Capital, accelerator programs, etc. Join the conversation to learn what's out there, how to stay informed, and how we can help you along the way.
Speakers

Bowl 004: Mentor Matching

Details: The session will cover mentor benefits, how to join the regional mentor pool and mentor roles and responsibilities. I-Corps Teams seeking mentors will present for the 2nd part of the session.
Speaker
- David Stengle

Bowl 006: Accelerating Research Translation: The Role of Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Promotion & Tenure

Details: The recent NSF Accelerating Research Translation (ART) solicitation stated: "Translational research activities at ART awardee institutions should be treated on par with fundamental research activities in faculty recruitment, tenure, and promotion decisions."

We will discuss: (i) the challenges and opportunities that exist at the proposing institutes for significantly boosting capacity for research translation; (ii) the evidence-based and outcome-oriented mechanisms that will be deployed for capacity-building activities aimed at accelerating translational research, including the creation and expansion of translational infrastructure, as well as changes to promotion and tenure criteria to support parity between fundamental and translational research activities.
Speakers

1:30 PM - 1:45 PM | Networking Break

Location: Upper and Lower Atrium

Details:

Network and peruse alumni team posters.

1:45 PM - 2:30 PM | Fireside Chat: Navigating the Future of Graduate Student Education: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Academia

Location: Auditorium 101

Details:

In today's rapidly changing world, graduate education is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the growing interest in innovation and entrepreneurship. This fireside chat brings together senior academic administrators to explore the evolving landscape of graduate student education. With the rise of interest in innovation and entrepreneurship, universities are tasked with reimagining their graduate programs to equip students with the skills and mindset necessary to thrive in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Our distinguished panel of academic leaders will discuss the integration of innovation and entrepreneurship into graduate programs, the role of industry partnerships, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, and the impact of emerging technologies on curriculum development. We will also examine strategies for fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among graduate students, preparing them for diverse career paths, and enhancing the overall quality of graduate education in the 21st century.

Speakers:

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Closing Remarks