Branding Language and Media Contact:
Feel free to pull the language from these sections to write press pieces. For further assistance, logos, and media requests, you can contact Lauren Carnahan, Mid-South Hubs Communications Coordinator, at lauren.carnahan@vanderbilt.edu.
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The NSF Mid-South I-Corps Hub is led by Vanderbilt University. With an intentional emphasis on inclusive innovation, the hub will accelerate the translation of groundbreaking university research outcomes into commercialized ventures that seed emergent, prosperous innovation ecosystems across the region. The hub spans four states and includes Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, Jackson State University, George Mason University, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, University of Louisville, University of Tennessee, Knoxville and University of Kentucky.
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The NSF I-Corps Program was established to instruct innovators, through evidence-based entrepreneurial training, on how to translate and commercialize university research and deep technologies into the market to create new jobs, stimulate the economy, and impart positive value change into the world. Participants will be empowered to apply the scientific method towards business endeavors by establishing business hypotheses regarding their customer segments, value propositions, distribution channels, customer relationships, cost structures, revenues streams and their key activities, resources, & partnerships through customer discovery. I-Corps training will optimize downstream commercialization activity including, but not limited to, earning business grants, launching a sustainable business, and acquiring venture funding. The I-Corps program will also inform the participant’s ability to conceptualize new “use-inspired” research approaches as they apply for research grants as well as allowing faculty members to optimize their classroom approach to provide more immersive entrepreneurial activities in their coursework.
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The Wond’ry at Vanderbilt University: The Wond’ry is Vanderbilt’s Center for Innovation and Design.
Its three story, 13,000-square foot space, located in the heart of campus in Nashville, Tennessee, provides the tools and resources for students, faculty, staff, and community members to bring ideas to life. The Wond’ry offers state of the art makerspaces, virtual reality labs, workshops, training opportunities, and programs designed to support anyone from budding entrepreneurs to community changemakers. The Wond’ry welcomes students from all backgrounds, disciplines, and abilities, empowering them to develop innovative and creative solutions that change the world.
Mid-South Innovation Summit Celebrating Vanderbilt’s Initiatives
The Mid-South I-Corps Hub is laying the foundation for innovators to commercialize their inventions. The venture spreads across the region and includes four states. Vanderbilt University is one of nine universities included in the innovation hub.
In the Press
National Science Foundation Mid-South Innovation Corps Hub commences at Vanderbilt with innovation summit
Vanderbilt is leading the hub, which plans to focus on inclusive and collaborative innovation. Its goals are to help the outcomes of groundbreaking university research translate more quickly into the commercial marketplace and to foster a prosperous ecosystem for innovation across the Midsouth.
Vanderbilt hosts inaugural Mid-South Innovation Summit
By forming the Mid-South I-Corps Hub, the university plans to expand the program’s impact by uniting nine universities in the region in 2023. The hub spans four states and includes Vanderbilt University, the University of Virginia, Jackson State University, George Mason University, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, the University of Louisville, the University of Tennessee and Knoxville and the University of Kentucky.
CREST initiative gets grant to energize workforce development, economic growth through regional cross-sector collaborations
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to an initiative born of the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt’s Innovation Center, the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization and key regional stakeholders. The groundbreaking CREST (Coalition Responsible for Equitable Skills Training) initiative is designed to connect industry, academic and community partners to craft workforce development programs that stimulate economic progress for all.
Vanderbilt-Led NSF Regional I-Corps Program Takes on South by Southwest (SXSW)
The SXSW Ideator Regional I-Corps Program, founded on the Sullivan Family Ideator Program, took a diverse group of participants from the Vanderbilt community—students, faculty, staff, and alumni—and collaborators from our broader Mid-South I-Corps Hub Ecosystem, including the University of Virginia, Tennessee State University, and GEM Fellow participants, to this year’s South by Southwest Festival-a global nexus of creativity and technology.
Beyond merely participating in this event, this group brought with them a mission: to tap this diverse network of industries and leaders present at the festival to further refine their innovations.
The Mid-South Hub Innovation Summit Returns, Showcasing Regional Ingenuity and Collaborative Spirit
The Mid-South Hub Innovation Summit, a keystone event for fostering collaboration and growth in the region’s innovation ecosystem, is returning with a renewed focus and an impressive lineup of events. Scheduled on March 1st, this year’s summit promises to be a gathering of minds, ideas, and ambitions, aimed at nurturing an entrepreneurial community centered around inclusive innovation and shared prosperity.