I-Corps Node (Track 2): Southwest Innovation Corps NODE (SWICORPS)

西南I-Corps节点（SWICORPS）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力将来自其广泛的影响范围及其精心组织的规划和研究。SWICORPS是该计划中最大的节点，覆盖了从俄克拉荷马州到德克萨斯州-墨西哥边境（超过800英里），从新墨西哥州到路易斯安那州（超过1000英里）的五个州。SWICORPS包括4个研究型机构，并将利用其与近500个学位授予机构的联系，在该地区建立创业能力。SWICORPS将向整个地区的教师和学生介绍I-Corps创业课程，最终增加他们研究的经济影响。该节点的活动将培养一批具有创业思维和适当培训的STEM研究人员和学生，以便在市场上利用他们的研究发现。仅在德克萨斯州，就有近50万名学生在少数民族服务机构注册，SWICORPS将把重点放在服务最欠缺的地区，以发展创业生态系统。这个I-Corps节点项目提供培训和基础设施，以便与广大不同地区的分支机构分享精益启动平台I-Corps课程。它将继续扩大，以接触新的培训师，并影响早期创业公司，包括来自该地区网站的初创公司。这些活动将有助于建立一个区域性的技术公司临界质量。I-Corps节点将通过其定制的区域项目和推广活动，提高理工科教师、研究人员和学生对创业和商业技能价值的认识。该节点将以最佳做法为基础，建立一个有效的导师网络，并帮助团队确定国家项目培训的导师。合作学校将为国家创新网络开发新课程和先进工具做出贡献。该节点将利用其区域活动的指标和结果，以更好地了解企业家的心态，并确定哪些工具在客户发现过程中和之后最适合企业家。西南I-Corps节点招募强大的国家团队将继续增加联邦资助研究的影响，并将为该地区和全国的创新，创造就业机会和经济增长做出贡献。

The broader impact/commercial potential of the Southwest I-Corps Node (SWICORPS) project will derive from its extensive reach and its carefully structured programming and research. SWICORPS is the largest Node in the program, covering five states from Oklahoma to the Texas-Mexico border (over 800 miles), and from New Mexico to Louisiana (over 1,000 miles). SWICORPS includes four Research 1 level institutions and will leverage its access to almost 500 degree-granting institutions to build entrepreneurship capacity in the region. SWICORPS will introduce faculty and students throughout the region to the I-Corps entrepreneurial curricula, ultimately increasing the economic impact of their research. The activities of the node will build a cadre of STEM researchers and students with an entrepreneurial mindset and appropriate training to exploit their research discoveries in the marketplace. With nearly half a million students enrolled in Minority Serving Institutions in Texas alone, SWICORPS will focus efforts and outreach to the regions most underserved areas to grow the entrepreneurial ecosystem.This I-Corps Node project provides training and infrastructure to share the Lean Launchpad I-Corps curriculum with affiliates across a vast and diverse region. It will continue to expand to reach new trainers and impact early-stage startups, including those from Sites located in the region. These activities will help to build a regional critical mass of technology-based companies. The I-Corps Node will raise awareness of the value of entrepreneurship and business skills among science and engineering faculty, researchers, and students through its customized regional programs and outreach initiatives. This Node will build on best practices to develop an effective mentor network and aid teams in identification of mentors for national program training. The partner schools will contribute to the National Innovation Network for the development of new curricula and advanced tools. The node will exploit metrics and outcomes from its regional activities to better understand the entrepreneurial mindset, and to determine which tools best serve entrepreneurs during and after the customer discovery process. Southwest I-Corps Node's recruitment of strong national teams will continue to increase the impact of federally funded research, and will contribute to innovation, job creation, and economic growth, both in the region and throughout the country.