Cornell University's Magazine Fall 2020
COVER STORY
University’s thriving business incubators, accelerators take off
Cornell’s network of business incubators and accelerators have developed into a growing and robust entrepreneurial engine nurtured with resources, training and mentorship that help faculty, research staff and graduate students launch marketable ideas and technologies.
From left, Kristina Hugar, Ph.D. ’15 and Gabriel G. Rodríguez-Calero, M.S. ’12, Ph.D. ’14, co-founders of Ecolectro, and Sarah Nathan, Ph.D. ’18, an analytical chemist with Ecolectro, examine a prototype polymer batch prior to shipping to an industry partner at Ecolectro’s Ithaca headquarters, located off campus.
Programs targeting students stress innovation, team building
By helping students think like entrepreneurs, programs like the Commercialization Fellows program in the College of Engineering can add another crucial level of practical knowledge to graduate student training.
Bevy of incubators and resources bolster startup culture
Potential entrepreneurs looking to commercialize their inventions, applications of their research, or Cornell technologies have multiple paths and resources available to them across the university’s campuses.
University’s incubators guide, advise startup teams
Cornell’s incubator directors often work with aspiring entrepreneurs to assist them in applying to programs; they also may advise them on developing a plan, finding resources and growing their potential business, helping them take further advantage of the plethora of startup resources across Cornell’s campuses.
Alumni involvement in startup incubators sparks growth
When Frank DeCosta, Ph.D. ’85, thinks back to when he was a student, he reflects on how ignorant he was about intellectual property law. Today, he volunteers at Cornell’s Praxis Center for Venture Development to make sure faculty and student entrepreneurs are more knowledgeable than he had been.
