Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/201447
kind of technology the teams are developing," says Lyons. "We can introduce the two groups and it might be productive. We also want to make sure we stay in touch with NSF teams and create networks that our graduates can use in the future." Schools that aren't part of I-Corps can still benefit from Lean LaunchPad protocols. Educators can access the whole system online, then take what they need to put together proposals, discuss possible funding opportunities with donors, and build similar programs on their own campuses, says Lyons. But whether schools adopt Lean LaunchPad or develop their own courses, there seems to be a definite boom in entrepreneurship programs across the business school landscape. "I think the driving force is students," Lyons speculates. "More of them are coming to campus and saying, 'At some point I want to found a company or be part of a startup.' My hunch is that this attitude is coming from wholesale shifts in the labor market. Increasingly, young people are thinking of themselves as independent contractors who 'sell' their labor services on a project-by-project basis, and they aren't linked to any one firm over time. We are all our own entrepreneurs going forward." LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? LOOKING FOR A NEW DEAN? Advertise in the classifieds! SEE PAGE 70 FOR DETAILS. 34 November/December 2013 BizEd Another reason behind the growth in entrepreneurship, suggests Marquis, is the fact that launching a startup is simply more possible now, largely because of the Internet. "You can gather resources from around the globe for your startup," he says. "You can collaborate with people—you can build websites that allow you to sample. You can find funding through Kickstarter and people through LinkedIn. You can crunch data through resources like Amazon, without having to invest in all the hardware." The fact that business schools are partially powering the entrepreneurship boom means universities are providing even more value to their communities. Lyons loves to be able to tell stakeholders how Haas programs are jumpstarting economic growth. He says, "What's my favorite story to tell donors right now? The NSF I-Corps story! We're grabbing intellectual product from around the country and helping inventors bring it to the market. Who doesn't like that story?" Adds Marquis, "Especially because we're a public university, benefiting society is part of our core mission. Entrepreneurship programs allow us to get that benefit out into society, and that's why we have such a passion for them." Successful entrepreneurs have always managed to combine invention with commercialization. Programs like I-Corps combine the strengths of government resources, school knowledge, and entrepreneurs' own knowhow to take innovations from great ideas to great products. In the process, everybody wins.