{"686592":{"#nid":"686592","#data":{"type":"news","title":"VentureLab and I-Corps: Turning Research Into Real-World Impact ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen a Georgia Tech research team sets out to explore the commercial potential of their breakthrough, they do not start with investors or business plans. They start with questions. Who needs this? How would they use it? Is it viable outside of the lab?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose questions, and the search for answers, are at the core of Georgia Tech\u2019s VentureLab and the National Science Foundation\u2019s Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, program. Together, they equip faculty and graduate students with the tools and mentorship to test their ideas in the real world. More than 70 Georgia Tech teams have advanced through I-Corps, many transforming discoveries into startups that attract funding, partners, and customers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat Is I-Corps?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECreated in 2011, the National Science Foundation\u2019s I-Corps program was designed to improve the quality of startups emerging from federally funded research while teaching researchers how to recognize and pursue commercial opportunities. VentureLab was among the first two NSF I-Corps Nodes that established the foundation for today\u2019s regional Hub model, reflecting Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing leadership in entrepreneurship education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech now leads the NSF I-Corps Southeast Region Hub, connecting universities across the Southeast to strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship. The program offers multiple entry points, beginning with a one-hour introductory workshop, followed by a two-week short course and a five-week regional program. From there, teams may advance to the national I-Corps Teams program, a seven-week intensive designed to help researchers refine their business models and validate market needs.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe VentureLab Advantage\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVentureLab, a unit within Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Commercialization, is led by Keith McGreggor, executive director and chair of the NSF I-Corps Curriculum and Instruction Committee. VentureLab integrates I-Corps into the Institute\u2019s broader mission of helping researchers move ideas from the lab to the marketplace while building programs and ecosystems that expand entrepreneurship support with academic and private-sector partners.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI-Corps and VentureLab work together to give researchers a clear, structured way to understand how their ideas can move from discovery to real-world use,\u201d McGreggor said. \u201cThe program\u2019s curriculum helps teams examine their assumptions, engage directly with users, and build a strong foundation for advancing their work into products, partnerships, and startups.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the direction of Nakia Melecio, principal at VentureLab and director of the NSF I-Corps Southeast Region Hub, the program delivers high-impact entrepreneurship training and mentorship across the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESupporting this work are Melissa Heffner, associate director at VentureLab, who develops and delivers I-Corps curriculum across the Southeast, and Sara Martin Henderson, principal at VentureLab, who leads I-Corps training and builds partnerships that expand entrepreneurship support in Atlanta and beyond.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeffner emphasized the program\u2019s effect on the researcher\u2019s mindset. \u201cThrough I-Corps, researchers see their work through a new lens as they shift their mindset from invention to impact,\u201d she said. \u201cThey learn to ask the right questions, engage with real customers, and discover how their work can create meaningful real-world solutions.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETogether, the VentureLab team ensures that Georgia Tech researchers have the skills, mentorship, and networks to bring innovations to market and contribute to the growth of the Southeast\u2019s innovation economy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy It Matters\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPrograms like I-Corps are central to Georgia Tech\u2019s commercialization mission. They prepare researchers to take bold steps toward entrepreneurship, strengthen Atlanta\u2019s innovation ecosystem, and accelerate discoveries that improve lives. By combining mentorship, market insights, and early funding, I-Corps and VentureLab help bridge the gap between research and real-world application, creating lasting impact for the Institute, the state, and the region.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;Learn more at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/venturelab.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eventurelab.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icorpssoutheasthub.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eicorpssoutheasthub.org\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECreated in 2011, the National Science Foundation\u2019s I-Corps program was designed to improve the quality of startups emerging from federally funded research while teaching researchers how to recognize and pursue commercial opportunities. VentureLab was among the first two NSF I-Corps Nodes that established the foundation for today\u2019s regional Hub model, reflecting Georgia Tech\u2019s long-standing leadership in entrepreneurship education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Created in 2011, the National Science Foundation\u2019s I-Corps program was designed to improve the quality of startups emerging from federally funded research while teaching researchers how to recognize and pursue commercial opportunities"}],"uid":"36434","created_gmt":"2025-11-21 21:39:31","changed_gmt":"2026-01-27 19:39:28","author":"lcameron30","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-11-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678702":{"id":"678702","type":"image","title":"National Science Foundation\u2019s Innovation Corps","body":null,"created":"1763761238","gmt_created":"2025-11-21 21:40:38","changed":"1763761238","gmt_changed":"2025-11-21 21:40:38","alt":"Student Researchers","file":{"fid":"262767","name":"Icorps-image.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/21\/Icorps-image.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/11\/21\/Icorps-image.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2303829,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/11\/21\/Icorps-image.jpg?itok=PXiFQWtS"}}},"media_ids":["678702"],"groups":[{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by: L. Cameron\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}