I-Corps Sites: UNLV Lean Entrepreneurship Advancement Program

该项目由内华达州大学拉斯维加斯分校（UNLV）发起，创建了一个创新军团站点（I-Corps Site）。I-Corps Sites是NSF资助的实体，在大学建立，其目的是培养和支持多个本地团队将其技术概念转化为市场。网站提供基础设施，建议，资源，网络机会，培训和适度的资金，使团体能够将他们的工作转移到市场或成为I-Corps团队申请人。I-Corps网站还加强本地和区域创新，并为导师，研究人员，企业家和投资者的国家创新网络做出贡献。UNLV建立了精益创业促进计划（LEAP），以扩大教师，学生和社区创新的商业化。利用UNLV创业中心（CFE），研究和经济发展部，门登霍尔创新计划（MIP）和内华达州小企业发展中心（NSBDC）的现有资源和专业知识，NSF I-Corps网站赠款有助于确定适合过渡到市场的教师和学生创新。LEAP通过识别和支持与整个大学的学院和研究所相关的教师和学生来增加创新渠道（例如，科学，牙科学校，护理，酒店，个性化医学研究所，和其他）。它还为参加最近实施的精益创业拉斯维加斯计划的学生提供商业化机会。该计划部分由VentureWell计划资助，旨在帮助开发基于软件的业务，使其成为支持原型改进和/或客户开发的资金的理想候选人。在拉斯维加斯的内华达州大学实施的I-Corps Site计划提供了一个创新模式，可供其他拥有类似、高度多样化人口的机构采用。LEAP使酒店管理学院、科学学院、牙科医学院、护理学院、个性化医学研究所等学院能够参与共享创业经验，这可能会导致初创公司的出现影响该机构的地理生态系统。

This project, from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), creates an Innovation Corps Site (I-Corps Site). I-Corps Sites are NSF-funded entities established at universities whose purpose is to nurture and support multiple, local teams to transition their technology concepts into the marketplace. Sites provide infrastructure, advice, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to enable groups to transition their work into the marketplace or into becoming I-Corps Team applicants. I-Corps Sites also strengthen innovation locally and regionally and contribute to the National Innovation Network of mentors, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors.UNLV establishes the Lean Entrepreneurship Advancement Program (LEAP) to broaden commercialization of faculty, student and community innovations. Utilizing the existing resources and expertise of the UNLV Center for Entrepreneurship (CFE), the Division of Research and Economic Development, the Mendenhall Innovation Program (MIP) and the Nevada Small Business Development center (NSBDC), this NSF I-Corps Site grant helps identify faculty and student innovations suitable for transition into the marketplace. The LEAP increases the pipeline of innovations by identifying and supporting faculty and students associated with colleges and Institutes across the university (e.g., Sciences, Dental School, Nursing, Hospitality, the Institute of Personalized Medicine, and others). It also provides commercialization opportunities for students participating in the recently implemented Lean Startup Las Vegas program. This program, partially funded by a VentureWell Programs Grant, is designed to aid the development of software based businesses, making them ideal candidates for funding that supports prototype refinement and/or customer development. The implementation of an I-Corps Site program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas provides a model of innovation that can be adopted by other institutions that enjoy similar, highly diverse populations. The LEAP enables the participation of colleges such as the College of Hotel Administration, the College of Sciences, the School of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Institute of Personalized Medicine, and others, in a shared entrepreneurial experience that may lead to startups that impact this institution's geographic ecosystem.