MENTORS
Industry Mentors
"Participating... has been very insightful and rewarding for me personally as it has introduced me to a group of incredibly bright and passionate entrepreneurs who are eager to test their business concepts with a team of Mentors that bring a wide variety of experience and expertise. This is a great opportunity for these young researchers and budding entrepreneurs. I wish I had such a group to lean on early in my career!"
Lee Riesterer, CEO, Gray Rock Digital
You can become a mentor with a university to be called upon to help specific National, Regional, or Sites teams or to assist in a mentor pool with regional cohorts. Sites teams, receive micro-grants on an ad-hoc basis or through scheduled programs at I-Corps Sites locations to conduct rapid customer discovery and determine if the I-Corps National Teams program is the right path forward in their commercialization journey. You can also join a mentor network to be as low touch as having coffee with teams to help them understand the ecosystem better.
If you are in the south east region and are interested in joining the I-Corps South mentor network please contact us and we will help incorporate you into the entrepreneurship ecosystem and mentor network which would make the most sense based on your experience and location.
National Level
Teams must include an industry mentor who contributes to customer research and guidance on how to pivot based on the team's research findings. This requires a 7-week commitment including a national kick-off event, closing event, participation in customer interviews, and weekly WebEx calls.
Regional Level
Industry mentors work with Regional I-Corps Cohort teams to share their industry experience. There can be individual mentors dedicated to specific teams or a pool of mentors for multiple teams and/or the entire cohort to lean on for coaching and advice. These programs typically run 3-4 lengths and might require anywhere from 5-20 hours of time depending on the program structure over the duration.
Upcoming Events
Thu, Apr 21Virtual ProgramApr 21, 2022, 9:00 AM – Apr 25, 2022, 1:00 PMVirtual ProgramAre you a Lean Startup educator or an aspiring educator looking to learn more about the curriculum and how to teach and coach teams through a Lean Startup cohort? Come join our I-Corps South instructors as we train you on not just the 'what' of Lean Startup but also the 'how'.
Wed, Apr 13Online EventApr 13, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM EDTOnline EventIn collaboration with I-Corps South at Georgia Institute of Technology, the Wond’ry hosts a monthly Innovation Open Mic event, where aspiring innovators are invited to practice presenting their ideas and projects to a panel of entrepreneurial experts and mentors.
Mon, Mar 28ChattanoogaMar 28, 2022, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PMChattanooga, Chattanooga, TN, USAI-Corps South is excited to announce an upcoming regional entrepreneurship program in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, set to take place March/April 2022. To Apply: Email: scarson2@utk.edu- Wed, Mar 09Online EventMar 09, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ESTOnline EventIn collaboration with I-Corps South at Georgia Institute of Technology, the Wond’ry hosts a monthly Innovation Open Mic event, where aspiring innovators are invited to practice presenting their ideas and projects to a panel of entrepreneurial experts and mentors.
Mon, Feb 28Atlanta- Wed, Feb 09Virtual EventFeb 09, 2022, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ESTVirtual EventCohosted by Georgia Tech's I-Corps South and Vanderbilt's Wond’ry the Innovation Open Mic event is where aspiring innovators pitch their ideas and mentors provide feedback. Interested as a startup team or as a mentor? Click on 'Learn More' and our outreach coordinator will follow up.
- Wed, Nov 10Virtual EventNov 10, 2021, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PM ESTVirtual EventCohosted by Georgia Tech's I-Corps South and Vanderbilt's Wond’ry the Innovation Open Mic event is where aspiring innovators pitch their ideas and mentors provide feedback. Interested as a startup team or as a mentor? Click on 'Learn More' and our outreach coordinator will follow up.
Thu, Oct 21ZoomOct 21, 2021, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDTZoomThe Female Founders Speaker Series features conversations with successful women entrepreneurs sharing their journeys in building their startups and entrepreneurial topical experts sharing their knowledge. Come meet Carolyn Pitt as she talks about her startup journey for Productions.com.- Wed, Oct 20Virtual EventOct 20, 2021, 1:00 PM – 2:15 PMVirtual EventCohosted by Georgia Tech's I-Corps South and Vanderbilt's Wond’ry the Innovation Open Mic event is where aspiring innovators pitch their ideas and mentors provide feedback. Interested as a startup team or as a mentor? Click on 'Learn More' and our outreach coordinator will follow up.
![[I-Corps Regional Cohort] University of Tennessee hosted Fall 2021](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/1f7ce5_1caebec2d8974aeaa392bcf6e2282ea3~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_147,h_94,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/1f7ce5_1caebec2d8974aeaa392bcf6e2282ea3~mv2.jpeg)
Fri, Oct 15In Person and Virtual Program (Hybrid)Oct 15, 2021, 12:00 PM – Nov 05, 2021, 12:00 PMIn Person and Virtual Program (Hybrid)Do you or your team have a great idea for a startup? If so, come join our Fall 2021 I-Corps South Regional Cohort hosted by the University of Tennessee. Teams will be coached through evidence-based entrepreneurship.- Thu, Oct 07Virtual ProgramOct 07, 2021, 8:00 AM – Oct 11, 2021, 12:30 PMVirtual ProgramAre you a Lean Startup educator or an aspiring educator looking to learn more about the curriculum and how to teach and coach teams through a Lean Startup cohort? Come join our I-Corps South instructors as we train you on not just the 'what' of Lean Startup but also the 'how'.
Wed, Oct 06https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86796371517?pwd=cOct 06, 2021, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/86796371517?pwd=cIf you're a Georgia Tech Alumni looking for ways to engage with the entrepreneurship community surrounding Georgia Tech's VentureLab and the NSF I-Corps South Node please join this session. We will be providing an overview of how Lean Startup methodology can be leveraged for corporate innovation.
Tue, Sep 21https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88923995057?pwd=dSep 21, 2021, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDThttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/88923995057?pwd=dThe Female Founders Speaker Series features conversations with successful women entrepreneurs sharing their journeys in building their companies and entrepreneurial experts sharing their knowledge of how to get started. Come meet Sammie Hansen as she talks about her startup journey with MedSur.- Wed, Sep 08https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87840920869?pwd=OSep 08, 2021, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMhttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/87840920869?pwd=OIf you're a Georgia Tech Alumni looking for ways to engage with the entrepreneurship community surrounding Georgia Tech's VentureLab and the NSF I-Corps South Node please join this session. We will be providing an overview of the Atlanta Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and how our team engages with it.
![[I-Corps Regional Cohort] Female Founders - Fall 2021](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7293d9_d03541a5b3484580b5da4cabc23eb1ca~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_147,h_98,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/7293d9_d03541a5b3484580b5da4cabc23eb1ca~mv2.jpg)
Thu, Sep 02Virtual ProgramSep 02, 2021, 1:30 PM – Sep 29, 2021, 10:00 AMVirtual ProgramDo you or your team have a great idea for a potential startup? If so, come join our Female Founders I-Corps Regional program! Teams will be coached through the basics of evidence-based entrepreneurship while talking through key topics related to being a female entrepreneur.- Thu, Aug 26https://gatech.webex.com/meet/mheffner3Aug 26, 2021, 4:00 PM – 4:45 PMhttps://gatech.webex.com/meet/mheffner3Join us to learn more about the Female Founders Phase 1 Introduction to Lean Startup program that coaches I-Corps South female-led teams through the basics of evidence-based entrepreneurship and innovation centered on customer discovery while connecting them with successful female entrepreneurs.
Thu, Aug 26Virtual EventAug 26, 2021, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PMVirtual EventThe Female Founders Speaker Series features conversations with successful women entrepreneurs sharing their journeys in building their companies and entrepreneurial experts sharing their knowledge of how to get started. This month come meet Blanca Catalina Garcia from ATDC.- Wed, Aug 04Virtual EventAug 04, 2021, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMVirtual EventIf you're a Georgia Tech Alumni looking for ways to engage with the entrepreneurship community surrounding Georgia Tech's VentureLab and the NSF I-Corps South Node please join this information session. We will be providing an overview of approaches to inclusive entrepreneurship and how to engage.