iCorps Node Program
Upstate New York NSF iCorps Node Cornell University, University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology have partnered to create the UNY iCorps Node. Together, the three universities have received a $4.2 million award from the NSF to support this Node. The first cohort will begin in Spring 2017.
The iCorps Node program is designed to prepare participants to innovate and create beyond the academic sphere. The UNY iCorps Node will provide targeted curriculum, mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs, and a connection to the national iCorps network of Nodes, Sites, Teams, and knowledge. Teams created from this Node have an excellent opportunity to move on and qualify as a national iCorps Team.
Sign up for more information – program opens this Winter. If you are interested in sharing your own startup or commercialization experience with iCorps Teams, contact us at icorps@cornell.edu
For more information, visit the iCorps Node Program website
or more information on the NSF iCorps program, visit the NSF iCorps website.
Commercialization Fellows
A six-month intensive program for Ph.D. candidates at Cornell Engineering. Fellows are funded to leave their lab and undertake full-time commercialization assessments on selected technologies, most often the technology that is the subject of their dissertation research. They receive deep training and mentoring by CTT-affiliated faculty on Lean LaunchPad principles as well as separate instruction on product design and intellectual property. At the end of the six months, fellows present their assessment results to a panel of advisors and venture capitalists. Courses and workshops in intellectual property have intensive one-on-one components for the fellows in addition to course and workshop content, as well as events that are open to the student community.
Affiliated Programs
eLab
Cornell’s student business accelerator. Student teams that are committed to launch new businesses are admitted in October of each year and undertake six months of intensive work to develop business models based on real customer engagement using the Lean LaunchPad method. eLab concludes with an annual Demo Day in April of each year, a centerpiece of the annual Cornell Entrepreneurship Celebration. eLab admits 10–12 teams each year, and they receive up to 5.5 credits from the Johnson Graduate School of Management for developing their businesses.
BEST
Broadening Experience in Scientific Training, a program to enhance training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to prepare them for careers beyond conventional academic research. BEST students participate in annual pre-seed workshops, pitch bootcamps, and “Business as a Second Language” management skills workshops.
Blackstone Launchpad
Provides open, drop-in entrepreneurship advising and mentoring by experienced, paid venture consultants. The program also sponsors and hosts regular entrepreneurship networking events, mixers, and programs like hackathons, makeathons, pitchathons, and business plan competitions.
Rev: Ithaca Startup Works
A business incubator in downtown Ithaca, launched in September 2014, the program is run by Cornell in collaboration with funding partners Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College. A Certified Incubator in New York State, Rev receives both capital and operating funding from Empire State Development. Rev has admitted 42 companies since inception, of which 32 remain members. Three companies have graduated Rev and taken up residence in their own office space in downtown Ithaca. Rev has launched a Hardware Accelerator and Passenger to Pilot program.
Southern Tier Startup Alliance
The New York State Innovation Hot Spot for the Southern Tier region. Administered and led by Cornell, the alliance is a partnership with Binghamton University and Corning Enterprises, and is comprised of six business incubators including Rev: Ithaca Startup Works and the Kevin M. McGovern Family Center for Venture Development in the Life Sciences on the Cornell campus. The Alliance receives annual operating funding from New York State, sponsorship from its partner LaunchNY, and from an EDA i6 Challenge grant. It operates 76 West, Governor Cuomo’s signature clean energy business plan competition on behalf of NYSERDA.