Regional I-Corps Workshops

The regional UMD I-Corps Customer Discovery Workshops introduce teams and individuals with innovations to the concepts of business models and customer discovery. The value of the program lies in finding a problem that a customer is willing to pay for, giving you direction on how to commercialize your innovation, increase your odds of securing funding, and saving you time and resources.

UMD offers several live (over Zoom), instructor-led I-Corps workshops each year. You may only join these cohorts with instructor approval upon completing I-Corps Prep, a self-paced, online module.

How to get started in I-Corps:

I-Corps Prep

The I-Corps Prep mini course is the required first step of participating in any I-Corps cohort. It is self-paced, and allows you to enroll and complete it at any time.

Once you have completed I-Corps Prep, you will be given direction on how to meet with an instructor to review the course content. Assuming you are eligible and ready, the instructor will then give you the next available dates for upcoming I-Corps Customer Discovery workshops, which are also listed in the sections below.

National I-Corps Track Regional Cohorts

Note: To be eligible for the following I-Corps Cohorts your team/company MUST be based on university research AND have a faculty PI at a university. If this doesn’t apply to your team please refer to the Rolling Cohorts Section below for cohorts that better match your team/company. Generally, all I-Corps sessions will be hosted on Friday mornings 8:30am-11:30am EST unless otherwise stated.

Rolling Community Cohorts

The MD Innovation Extension I-Corps Program leverages the Mid-Atlantic I-Corps training, funding from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), and support from other Maryland institutions, to offer rolling I-Corps workshops to Maryland entrepreneurs.


Rolling Workshop Cohorts offer flexibility for participants to join and complete a series of three I-Corps Customer Discovery Training Workshops at their own pace. The Rolling Cohorts program provides the same rigorous training as our traditional Regional I-Corps Cohorts, with added flexibility and asynchronous support to accommodate diverse schedules. Workshops are available the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month, ensuring that you can find a schedule that fits your needs.  This program is eligible for any entrepreneur based in Maryland with priority given to individual with connections to us or our partners.

Program Highlights:

• Flexible Scheduling: Join a 90-minute workshop every other Wednesday (alternating at noon or 4 p.m.), allowing you to progress through the training series at a pace that works for you. Completing three workshops is equivalent to a typical 2 week regional I-Corps Program.
• Asynchronous Support: Access resources and support at any time, enabling you to balance your entrepreneurial pursuits with other commitments.
• Comprehensive Training: Receive the same high-quality instruction and materials as participants in our traditional I-Corps Cohorts.
• Open to All Entrepreneurs: Unlike traditional cohorts which are tailored for teams with an academic PI, Rolling I-Corps Cohorts welcome any entrepreneur from Maryland.

I-Corps Next 2025 Cohort

Note: I-Corps Next is open to any I-Corps participant who has previously completed a regional I-Corps program. The program is meant to teach the concepts taught in NSF National I-Corps to those who are not eligible for the National program or who need additional support. The content will build on regional I-Corps customer discovery lessons and apply them to helping entrepreneurs validate the rest of their business model

I-Corps Info Sessions

Still have questions? I-Corps Info Sessions are an informal opportunity to meet the University of Maryland I-Corps team and ask questions related to Business Model Generation, Customer Discovery, and Regional I-Corps programs, as well as NSF National I-Corps programs. They are offered monthly and are  casual so feel free to bring lunch.

Info Sessions will be held the first Wednesday of every month from noon-1 p.m. EST. Those interested will receive a calendar invitation with a Zoom link to the session by signing up below.