Innovation Academy
Register for the Spring 2026 Cohort at
https://eastcarolinauniversity.formstack.com/forms/innovation_academy
(Registration closes on Wednesday, January 28th at Noon)
The Innovation Academy is a structured program designed to help early stage innovators translate their ideas into market-ready products or services. Recognizing that most new businesses fail due to ineffective planning, lack of customer focus, or weak commercialization strategies, the Academy equips participants with the tools and guidance to improve their odds of success. The program features bi-monthly meetings, with each session featuring fireside chats, presentations, and interactive activities. Between sessions, participants complete assignments such as customer interviews and validation exercises to strengthen their concepts.
Key focus areas include:
- Problem and solution definition, market need, and competitive landscape
- Minimum viable products (MVPs), customer storyboarding, and business model development
- Funding strategies, costs, revenue models, and research & development plans
- Risk identification, mitigation strategies, and pitch preparation
By the end of the Academy, participants will deliver a comprehensive business slide deck covering problem, solution, proof of concept, business model, market, competition, team, R&D, and funding needs. They also gain experience in customer discovery, build connections with potential industry partners and investors, and identify pathways for funding and commercialization.
The Innovation Academy not only develops entrepreneurial skills but also provides a supportive environment for networking, mentorship, and refining innovations into impactful ventures.
Program Benefits:
- Learn how to build a business model of success
- Find support from subject matter experts
- Improve your team’s competitiveness in obtaining extramural funding
- Receive up to $5,000 in support of market & customer discovery activities
- Discover the interplay between customer discovery and commercialization
Participants are expected to attend each session, engage in customer discovery activities outside of class, have independent team meetings on a weekly basis, complete homework assignments, and develop/deliver a business pitch.
Fall Schedule:
- Session 1 – February 3rd – Problem, Solution, Need, Market, and Competition
- Session 2 – February 17th – MVPs, Customer Storyboard, and Business Models
- Session 3 – March 3rd – Funding, Costs, Revenue, and R&D
- Session 4 – March 17th 28th – Identifying and Mitigating Risk.
- Session 5 – March 31st – Pitch Event
Sessions 1-4 will be virtual (Teams) and start promptly at 3 pm. Session typically last around 1.5 hours. Session 5 will be in person.
Expectations:
• Attendance at all sessions, unless excused with prior notice.
• Engage in customer discovery activities outside of class.
• Independent team meetings on a weekly basis
• Completion of 10 customer interviews and 3 letters of support confirming the need.
• Periodic Office Hour sessions with assigned mentor.
Innovation Academy Contact:
Carlyle Rogers, PhD
Director, Licensing & Commercialization
rogersar@ecu.edu
252-737-1648