I-Corps Annual Meeting

Wednesday, October 18, 2023
9 am - 4:30 pm
Friend Center, 7799 William St.
Princeton University

Annual Meeting Overview

Join us for the NSF I-Corps Northeast Hub Annual Meeting, an in-person event held at the Friend Center for Engineering Education in Princeton, NJ.

This annual event exemplifies our commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the research community. Whether you are a researcher exploring startup opportunities, a seasoned entrepreneur, or simply enthusiastic about the intersection of technology and business, this meeting is your chance to:

Connect with I-Corps participants, alumni, mentors, and industry leaders.
Celebrate your progress, the strides we've made as a community, and the growth of our innovation ecosystem.
Grow your knowledge-base by meeting people 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.

Don't miss out on this event that promises to inspire and ignite your entrepreneurial spirit! We are excited to share this enriching experience with you.

If you have any questions or require assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our event organizers at [email protected].

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

Speaker: Calvin Mackie

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 and research projects.

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

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
- Yusef Fullman
- Lori Dars

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
- Manny Stockman
- Julia Kastner

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
- Lee Zane
- Marcus Crews
- Jaume Villanueva

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

Network and peruse alumni team posters and research projects.

12:45 PM - 1:30 PM | Breakout 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
- Scott Alpizar
- Dan Benderly
- Philip Loew
- Yazmin Feliz
- Haydee Pacheco

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.
Speaker
- Mike Ehrlich

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