Entrepreneurship Innovation Center

I-Corps at Bowie State

BSU I-Corps Startup Workshop

Learn how BSU’s I-Corps program helps entrepreneurs validate ideas and accelerate startups through customer discovery and expert guidance.

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Testimonials

“Participating in the BSU I-Corps Short Course was a fantastic experience! My student and I learned a great deal of new information and some awesome innovative approaches to starting a business. The consistent feedback and support was extremely helpful and we had great fun presenting the project at the end of the course.”
- Dr. William Smith, assistant professor, Department of Fine & Performing Arts

“The BSU I-Corps Short Course was a great course in how to apply the entrepreneurial process to my specific research project, with personalized feedback from nationally recognized experts in the field!”
- Dr. Erica Hernandez, assistant professor, Department of Psychology

About the I-Corps Short Course Program

Bowie State's I-Corps Customer Discovery Workshops introduce teams and individuals with innovations to the concepts of business models and customer discovery. The value of the program lies in finding a problem that a customer is willing to pay for, giving you direction on how to commercialize your innovation, increase your odds of securing funding, and saving you time and resources.

Benefits of Participation

  • Develop entrepreneurial skills
  • Improve odds for commercial success of research or innovation
  • Validate your business model
  • Establish product-market fit
  • Achieve eligibility to apply for $50,000 I-Corps team grant

What You Will Learn

Teams will be introduced to the I-Corps approach, and learn about business model development and the customer development process. Teams will also spend time outside the building, talking to customers, partners and competitors and testing hypotheses. After the program, teams will present their findings from the customer development process and receive real-time feedback from the I-Corps instructors.

What to Expect 

Day 1 – Introduction to I-Corps and Customer Discovery
The first class covers Introduction to I-Corps, Team Introductions, Business Model Generation, Value Proposition Design and Best Practices for Customer Discovery.

Day 2 – Business Thesis and Product Market Fit
The second class will include team presentations on Lessons Learned from Customer Discovery, Hypothesis Development and Customer Interview Workshops.

Day 3 – Closing Session, Final Presentations
The third class will be the closing session where teams will have their final team presentations and a discussion about what’s next.

Team Composition

Students, faculty, alumni and community participants interested in translating their innovation and research into commercial ventures are encouraged to apply.

How To Get Started in I-Corps

1. Complete I-Corps Prep

Begin your journey by completing the I-Corps Prep module. This foundational mini course is crucial for your success in preparing for the program

REGISTER FOR I-CORPS PREP

2. Apply for a Cohort

Once you have completed I-Corps Prep, you can apply to join either the National Track or the Rolling Cohorts. Complete your application below

I-Corps COHORT APPLICATION

 

I-Corps Prep

The I-Corps Prep mini course is the required first step of participating in any I-Corps cohort. It is self-paced, and allows you to enroll and complete it at any time.

Once you have completed I-Corps Prep, you will be given direction on how to meet with an instructor to review the course content. Assuming you are eligible and ready, the instructor will then give you the next available dates for upcoming I-Corps Customer Discovery workshops, which are also listed in the sections below.

ENROLL HERE for I-Corps Prep

 

Rolling Community Cohorts

Bowie State University's participation into I-Corps is in conjunction with The MD Innovation Extension I-Corps Program, which leverages the Mid-Atlantic I-Corps training. The support comes from funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and support from other Maryland institutions, to offer rolling I-Corps workshops to Maryland entrepreneurs.


Rolling Workshop Cohorts offer flexibility for participants to join and complete a series of three I-Corps Customer Discovery Training Workshops at their own pace. The Rolling Cohorts program provides the same rigorous training as our traditional Regional I-Corps Cohorts, with added flexibility and asynchronous support to accommodate diverse schedules. Workshops are available the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, ensuring that you can find a schedule that fits your needs.  This program is eligible for any entrepreneur based in Maryland with priority given to BSU Student or Faculty Teams.

Program Highlights:

  • Flexible Scheduling: Join a 90-minute workshop every other Wednesday (alternating at noon or 4 p.m.), allowing you to progress through the training series at a pace that works for you. Completing three workshops is equivalent to a typical 2 week regional I-Corps Program.
  • Asynchronous Support: Access resources and support at any time, enabling you to balance your entrepreneurial pursuits with other commitments.
  • Comprehensive Training: Receive the same high-quality instruction and materials as participants in our traditional I-Corps Cohorts.
  • Open to All Entrepreneurs: Unlike traditional cohorts which are tailored for teams with an academic PI, Rolling I-Corps Cohorts welcome any entrepreneur from Maryland.
Apply for a Rolling workshop

 

About I-Corps

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps enables teams of scientist, researchers and engineers to explore the commercial potential of their research or innovation. By learning how to assess commercialization opportunities, teams gain a better understanding of their market, customers, competitors and industry. To learn more, visit the NSF website.