Entrepreneur teams from across the Mid-Atlantic region recently completed I-Corps Next, a five-week, intensive workshop that guides participants through advanced startup development.

Offered exclusively to 26 teams that previously completed a regional I-Corps cohort, I-Corps Next was hosted by the Maryland Innovation Extension and the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region from June 27-August 1, 2025.

I-Corps Next culminated in a day of final presentations at the University of Maryland, Baltimore BioPark’s 4MLK on August 1. The Baltimore Fund sponsored the event.

Affiliations for participant teams included: ten with the University of Maryland, College Park; five with Carnegie Mellon University; one each with Penn State University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Coppin State University/Vanderbilt University combination, Morgan State University, George Washington University, University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Pennsylvania, George Mason University/American University combination; one referred by the U.S. Economic Development Administration; and one  from the Hub’s recent I-Corps quantum cohort and three from the AI/robotics cohort. Three total teams came from the AI/robotics cohort and two from the quantum cohort.

The I-Corps Next teaching team included: Daniel Kunitz, Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub Director and Maryland Innovation Extension Director; Edmund Pendleton, Mid-Atlantic I-Corps Hub Lead Instructor and NSF I-Corps Instructor; Dave Sandrowitz, Associate Director, I-Corps Hub Mid-Atlantic Region; Glen Hellman, UMD I-Corps Instructor and Program Manager; GP Saggese, UMD I-Corps Instructor; Jainaba Ceesay, UMD I-Corps Instructor and Program Manager, Maryland Innovation Extension; Glenn Watson, I-Corps Instructor, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University; Alexis Slupe, Early Stage Innovation, Customer Discovery, Coach and Teacher; and Rob Cohen, Program Manager, Mtech Ventures.

Cohort mentors included: Dave Farnsworth, Owner, Farnsworth Consulting; Jameel Francis, CEO, Kore Tech; Hillel Glazer, Entrepreneur-in-Residence and MII Site Miner, bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park; Mary Gotschall, Vice Chairman of the Trustees, Arts Club of Washington, D.C.; Saikat Joardar, Business Group Business Leader, Industrials Business Group, W. L. Gore & Associates; Lonell Johnson, Entrepreneurship Specialist, Bowie State University; Hilary Longo, Entrepreneur in Residence and Mentor, Strategic Marketing, University of Maryland; Jim Melonas, Corporate Development Executive and Advisor; and ​​Evan Shubin, Founder, Half A Hire and Results.now, Inc.

View photos from the cohort here.