NY-Regional Virtual Innovation Lean Bootcamp - Winter 2025: Call for Team Applications!

The Innovation Lean Bootcamp provides teams with a real entrepreneurial and experiential learning experience on how to successfully transfer research or ideas into products and services that benefit society. This rapid, two-week program utilizes the Lean LaunchPad Methodology to get scientists, engineers, and technologists “out of the building/lab” to conduct 20+ stakeholder discovery interviews.

Most of the two weeks will be spent talking to potential customers, partners and competitors; experiencing the chaos and uncertainty of starting your own business! Teams will be guided by a Teaching Team made up of experienced entrepreneurs, industry mentors, and commercialization specialists. 

Participating-teams that are accepted and successfully adhere to all syllabus requirements are eligible to receive up to $1,500 reimbursement for to conduct customer discovery interviews, such as traveling to events, conferences, and trade shows anywhere in the United States of America.

Winter 2025 Innovation Lean Bootcamp hosted by the New York I-Corps Network:

Kickoff Session: Monday, January 6, 2025, 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM ET
Mid Session: Tuesday, January 14, 2025,10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET Finale Session:  Tuesday, January 21, 2025,10:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET

A/V Testing in Zoom Room will open at 9:30 AM EST
The course will be entirely virtual via Zoom. The Entrepreneurial Lead must be able to attend all three workshop dates!

Application Process: 

Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis until Tuesday, December 17, 2024, 12:00 PM ET. The next step after the application submission is a Zoom interview-discussion with your team and the Course Instructor(s).  The deadline to book and complete an interview-discussion via Zoom is Tuesday, December 23, 2024, 3:00 PM ET. There will be no extensions. 

We recommend applying EARLY so teams have ample time to schedule the required 25-minute Zoom interview discussion. Upon completion of this application, you will see a link to a Setmore Booking Calendar which is where you will schedule your Zoom interview-discussion.

At A Glance Schedule for Winter 2025: https://bit.ly/AtAGlanceScheduleWinter2025LeanBootcamp

Program Goals:

- Build the foundation commercialization plan of your startup for future NSF National I-Corps $50K Teams Program, NSF SBIR/STTR Program, and/or NYC Innovation Hot Spot programming
- Enable teams to develop a clearer decision regarding the market viability of their idea.
- Conduct 20 interviews over the course of the program with potential users, partners, decision makers, stakeholders in your ecosystem
- Teach innovators the fundamental building blocks of the Business Model Canvas (Value Propositions, Customer Segments), and Customer Discovery
- Connect with the nation-wide network of NSF instructors, entrepreneurs, commercialization experts and economic development leaders

Eligibility:
- Teams of 1+ committed members that may be postdocs, students (graduate-student encouraged), faculty, staff, etc. from any university. NY-based "Community" teams such as startup companies working on high-tech solutions (without academic-lineage) may be considered
- Technology or idea explored in this course should be STEM focused and/or research based
- Must be able to attend all 3 scheduled workshops AND dedicate time outside of the class sessions to get and schedule and conduct customer discovery interviews (20+)
- May be willing to form an academic team of 3+ people after the program to apply for the NSF I-Corps $50k Teams program, and/or apply to the NSF SBIR/STTR Program, and/or other NYS ecosystem programming

Please note: Individuals who previously participated in a NY Hub led Regional cohort within 12-months are not eligible to participate as an Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) or Co-EL.

If you have any questions or comments, please email info@newyorkicorps.org or Course Instructors ariella.trotsenko@cuny.edu & cira.cardaci@cuny.edu
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Team Background
Teams should consists of 1+ CUNY members - an EL and an optional additional of the following roles:

Entrepreneurial Lead - The Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) is typically a postdoctoral researcher, graduate student, or any other student (undergraduate, community college). In community/startup teams, the EL is likely CEO and Co-founder. The EL possesses relevant technical knowledge and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. The EL should also be prepared to support the transition of the technology, should the I-Corps™ project demonstrate a level of readiness appropriate to leave the academic institution. The Entrepreneurial Lead is likely the individual completing this application. 

Co-Entrepreneurial Lead - A fellow student or team/company member who is co-leading and supporting the customer discovery interview process. Maybe a co-founder. 

Technical Lead (TL) | Principal Investigator (PI) - The Principal Investigator (PI) serves as the technical lead and project manager. This person is usually a faculty/staff at a university and/or a CTO in a company. In most scenarios, the TL is the most member most knowledge on the technical aspects of the project, and maybe also become a co-founder. Senior technical students may also serve as the TL. 

Industry Mentor - The Industry Mentor (IM) is typically an experienced entrepreneur, or business executive with industry experience. The IM guides teams forward, helping them interpret customer comments, assisting the team in contacting relevant people, and keeping the team honest about what they are hearing from the marketplace. This member may also be someone familiar with the Lean LaunchPad Methodology and the Business Model Canvas, and/or has gone through I-Corps before.

Team Composition
Your Team Name *
Which industry is your technology/product/startup idea?
Clear selection
Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) Full Name *
Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) LinkedIn Profile *
Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) Pronouns *
Please list your University Affiliation *
Are you CURRENTLY a student? *
Required
Are you already a registered company? If so, what state is your company doing business in/headquartered? (N/A if not registered yet) *
Entrepreneurial Lead (EL) Email *
Please list your regional geographic location (Ex. Brooklyn, NY)
EL Phone Number *
EL Background/Short Biography (~<200 words) *
Team Member #2 (Co-EL) Full Name
Team Member #2 (Co-EL) Pronouns
Co-EL/Team Member #2 Email
Co-EL/Team Member #2 Biography (~<200 words)
Technical Lead (TL/PI) Name
Technical Lead (TL/PI) Pronouns
Technical Lead (TL/PI) Email
Industry Mentor Name
Industry Mentor Pronouns
Industry Mentor Email
Will all of your team members listed on this application be attending the course? The EL must attend all three sessions. *
If you have any other team members that will participate in the training-course, please list their full name, email, and role (co-EL, co-TL, co-IM) here 
Team or Startup Overview
Please help us get to know your project better. We understand your proposed answers/plans in this form may change during the cohort! That is the goal!
Provide a 1-2 sentence "Business Thesis" of WHAT is the product or service, WHO is the customer, and WHY the customer cares about it *
Provide a brief description of your business idea, innovation/technology, or startup (<250 words) *
Provide a brief description of competition and why your idea is different  (<250 words) *
Provide a brief description of the potential commercial impact of the technology  (<250 words) *
This course requires you to find and talk to 20 potential customers, users, and buyers. Who are the first three potential people you’d like to interview and why?  *
What is the IP status of the technology? ( *
University’s Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Representative Full Name & Email

N/A if you are not affiliated with a university/institution. 
*
Why do you want to participate in this Innovation Lean Bootcamp? *
How did you hear about the program? (Email newsletter, personal referral, attended an informational session, etc.)

If you heard about this program through a referral, please share who and/or which organization. 
*
I have read the program dates and confirm I/my team members can attend all 3 virtual sessions *
Required
Additional Questions? Comments? Concerns? (The next step in this application will redirect you to a Setmore Booking Platform to schedule a 25-min zoom interview-discussionwith the Core Instructors)
Submit
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