I-Corps Sites: Ventureprise Charlotte Launch Program

智力价值：通过这个项目，北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校创建了一个i-Corps网站。nsf Innovation Corps(i-Corps)网站是由NSF资助的实体，成立于大学，目的是培育和支持多个本地团队，将他们的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团队的申请者。I-Corps网站还加强了当地和地区的创新，并为由导师、研究人员、企业家和投资者组成的国家创新网络做出了贡献。北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校i-Corp网站，即风险企业夏洛特启动计划，通过在该大学现有计划和资源的基础上，大幅扩大教职员工和学生的客户发现和创业参与。北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校通过其夏洛特研究所和风险投资组织，提供一系列集成的项目，直接解决早期创意识别、客户发现、创业和成长阶段指导问题。北卡罗来纳大学的i-Corps网站资助提高了创业的知名度，激励了广大学生和教职员工的参与，并推动了商业化机会，利用了该大学在创新和创业人才和基础设施方面的重大投资。风险企业夏洛特启动计划可能会让人们深入了解适用于一所公立大学的最佳实践，这所大学的学生群体多样化，其中包括许多第一代大学生。该计划在一个企业运营实力雄厚、风险投资规模不大的地区开展，旨在吸引企业合作伙伴参与团队评估和指导。更广泛的影响：北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校为26,000多名学生提供服务，其中有相当数量的未被充分代表的少数族裔(23%的非裔美国人和西班牙裔美国人)和许多经济条件较差的学生。北卡罗来纳大学i-Corps网站专注于这些人群，并致力于减少所有有动力和合格的北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校学生参与STEM创业的障碍。快速发展的夏洛特地区拥有260万居民和强大的企业存在，通过导师参与和社区企业家参与参与风险投资夏洛特启动计划。这在多样化的学生群体和社区资源之间建立了联系，加强了学生网络访问。I-Corps基于证据的客户发现方法具有更广泛的经济影响，因为它们为该地区的创新和创业生态系统注入了活力。I-Corps网站的资金增加了大学教职员工和学生与位于卡罗莱纳州的企业创新高管的接触。该项目加强和扩大了大学、产业界和企业界之间的伙伴关系。这些伙伴关系直接影响商业化，并可能导致更多的合作研究和其他积极成果。

Intellectual Merit:With this project, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte creates an I-Corps Site.NSF Innovation Corps (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.The UNC Charlotte I-Corp Site, the Ventureprise Charlotte Launch Program, enables a substantial expansion of faculty and student customer discovery and startup participation by building upon programs and resources that are underway at the University. UNC Charlotte, through its Charlotte Research Institute and Ventureprise organizations, offers an integrated series of programs that directly address early idea identification, customer discovery, startup and growth stage guidance. The I-Corps Site funding at UNC improves visibility of entrepreneurship, incent broad student and faculty participation, and drives commercialization opportunities that leverage the University's major investment in innovation and entrepreneurship personnel and infrastructure. The Ventureprise Charlotte Launch Program is likely to yield insights into best practices applicable to a public university with a diverse student population that includes many first generation college students. The program operates in a region with strong corporate operations and modest venture capital presence and is designed to engage corporate partners in team evaluation and guidance. Broader Impacts:UNC Charlotte serves more than 26,000 students with a substantial population of underrepresented minorities (23% African-American and Hispanic) and numerous students from modest economic circumstances. The UNC I-Corps Site focuses on this population and on reducing the barriers to STEM entrepreneurial participation by all motivated and qualified UNC Charlotte students.The rapidly growing Charlotte region with 2.6 million residents and strong corporate presence participate in the Ventureprise Charlotte Launch Program through mentor engagement and community entrepreneur involvement. This creates linkages between the diverse student population and community resources, strengthening student network access. The I-Corps evidence-based customer discovery methodologies have broader economic impact as they infuse the region's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The I-Corps Site funding increases engagement of University faculty and students with corporate innovation executives located in the Carolinas. This program strengthens and expands partnerships among the University, industry, and the entrepreneurial community. These partnerships directly affect commercialization and are likely to lead to additional collaborative research and other positive outcomes.