The Innovation & Business Engagement Hub organizes immersive lean launchpad workshops series focused on training teams advancing university innovations or working on translational and use-inspired research projects. These series provide valuable training on identifying pathways for adoption and implementation and finding a scalable business model through the customer discovery process.

UC Santa Cruz is a partner institution in the (I-Corps) Hub for the Northwest Region and will be providing these series on the Central Coast.

These evening sessions teach you to identify your top customer segment and value propositions, and accelerate finding product market fit. Outside of class, you’ll do at least 20 interviews with potential customers as part of the customer discovery process. The team can expect to conduct 25-30 hours outside of the program’s workshops on interviews.

I-Corps Alumni Success Stories

Teams with a technology innovation based on discoveries in fundamental science and engineering may be eligible to participate in the National Science Foundation Innovation-Corps Teams program with successful workshop series completion and recommendation from the instructor. This national program provides a 7-week extended team training series and $40,000 which supports the team’s program participation including stipends and expenses for virtual and in-person customer discovery. Teams completing the national program have been shown to be more competitive and successful in securing follow-on innovation funding such as SBIR/STTR grants ($150,000 – $300,000 in federal commercialization grant funding)

Upcoming Series

Next series planned with workshops on June 15, 17 , 25 and 29, 2026 5:30-8:30 pm PDT (one-hour orientation June 5 at 2pm that at least one team member must attend).

Application window: April 29 – May 29, 2026.

Application is open now. You’ll be contacted 1-2 weeks before the first day of class to schedule
a team interview with the I-Corps instructor