The Ohio State University’s I-Corps program creates road map for entrepreneurship

The NSF I-Corps program, offered by the Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship, is propelling researchers and students towards entrepreneurial success with its immersive training, aimed at cultivating marketable ideas and accelerating the startup process.

“We are excited to bring the I-Corps program to OSU.  It’s a great opportunity for faculty and students to explore commercial potential of their research and to develop entrepreneurial skills beneficial to any career path,” said Caroline Crisafulli, director of entrepreneurial education in the Keenan Center of Entrepreneurship

During the four week program, participants develop familiarity with Lean Launchpad concepts, understand customer perspectives, map ecosystems, and connect with commercial entities.  Benefits include eligibility for the NSF I-Corps National Teams program and a $50,000 grant, gaining market insights, networking opportunities, mentoring, and developing entrepreneurial skills and preparation for early commercialization funding opportunities . Sessions were held in the Innovation Lab at the Institute for Materials Research.

Shashwat Agarwal, a PhD student in MAE, experimented with entrepreneurship before registering for I-Corps. After experiencing the program as a part of the autumn 2023 cohort, he says he is both more inspired and better equipped to create his own company.

 “My top priority is to either work in a startup or start something of my own,” Agarwal said. “During my undergrad I had the opportunity to build a mental healthcare startup that got acquired in my first year of PhD. That experience made me realize that [a startup] may be the environment in which I thrive most.”

 A key highlight of the program for Agarwal was the hands-on approach to learning, characterized by weekly presentations and group interactions. Prior to I-Corps, Agarwal said he was less familiar with ecosystem mapping and how to identify stakeholders. Upon completing the program, he not only feels more confident in those areas, he has also learned new strategies on how to solve common challenges new entrepreneurs face.

“This program really helped me identify possible pain points I could encounter if I am in an entrepreneurial role,” Agarwal said. “It taught me how to learn how to reach out to potential customers and learn how to better connect with them.”

Agarwal was introduced to the program by his advisor Jonathon Song, associate professor of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and Co-Director of the Center for Cancer Engineering. Song said he recommended Agarwal for the program because it would better equip him for the rapidly changing and highly competitive world of entrepreneurship.

“I-Corps has a very good framework and foundation for students to grow,” Song said. “We want participants to learn in

areas that may be new and or take advantage of what they already know and expand that knowledge.”

As Agarwal continues to develop his ideas for a startup, he says the time he spent with the other teams helped him experience the collaboration and creativity that is needed to develop a successful business. “All of the teams in the cohort were sharing what they learned and how they would approach challenges,” Agarwal said. “Being able to communicate with them and see why they took a certain approach was very helpful.”