In January 2024, the I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region hosted a regional cohort.

Co-led and instructed by the University of Maryland and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, the cohort featured 27 teams from Hub partner schools and beyond. 

Combined, cohort teams completed nearly 300 customer discovery interviews, which served to expand participants’ networks and guided them in assessing the market opportunity of their innovations. 

Technologies being explored included medical devices, energy and sustainability innovations, IT solutions, and inclusively designed swimwear. Many of these teams will look toward the national I-Corps Teams program or I-Corps Next to continue their customer discovery and business model refinement, while some will pursue SBIR funds or other regional offerings.

Along with the cohort, the Mid-Atlantic Hub hosted a "Train the Trainer" cohort to train the next batch of I-Corps instructors. There were 20 participants that will look to incorporate I-Corps style teaching into their own programs or even teach I-Corps themselves. Overall, the January cohort has proven itself a great step forward for the Hub in spreading innovation and entrepreneurial teaching best practices.