Date: Summer 2021
Number of Teams: 9
Number of Participants: 27
The NSF I-Corps program completed the Summer 2021 short course on Friday, July 16 & 30, 2021. The 2-day virtual course covered how to take an idea, product, technology, and/or research and translate it into the marketplace. Nine teams for a total of 26 Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty, and local entrepreneurs made up Cohort 7, led by an 8-person teaching team.
Day 1
Cohort 7 had nine teams that attended the first course: Textile Science, Virtual Reality, Affordable 5G Wireless Broadband Network Deployment, No Spike, Leather Recycling, Leather Recycling, Organic Hops, MBSE, Streaming Service and Social Network, Bike rider rear sunglasses, and Robotics for sustainable agriculture. This cohort was a diverse group of 6 faculty participants, 11 local entrepreneurs (highest for this cohort!), and 10 student participants.
Each team had the chance to ask many specific questions to the faculty, who gave lectures for the program. Dr. Sawyerr, Dr. Shah, Dr. Kushev, Dr. Yu Sun and Dr. Lomiento all gave lectures.
Day 2
For the second part of the course, the nine teams presented their revised ideas after holding customer discovery interviews and advisor/mentor interviews. After each team presentation, Dr. Kushev, Dr. Li and Dr. Winny shared their feedback with the group.
The guest speaker for this cohort was Isabel Gutierrez, a CPP I-Corps alumni and CEO of Vistendo. She presented about her experience during I-Corps as well as updates about her company after the program. She also shared about the steps she took to expand her company since graduating from Cal Poly Pomona.
The I-Corps faculty team, Dr. Kushev, Dr. Lomiento, and Dr. Li, also gave LIVE lectures day 2.
-- We hope you all will join Cohort 8 this upcoming Fall 2021. Details coming soon!
Summaries
Course 1 Highlight Summary
Cohort 7 had 9 teams that attended the first course, consisting of a diverse group of 6 faculty participants, 11 local entrepreneurs (highest for this cohort!), and 10 student participants. Their projects were just as diverse as the group, with disciplines including Apparel Merchandising & Management, College of Business Administration: CIS Department, College of Business Administration: CIS Department, Nutrition, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Computer Science, Electromechanical Systems Engineering Technology, Sustainable Agriculture, and Electromechanical Systems/Engineering Technology.
Course 2 Highlight Summary
For the second part of the course, the nine teams presented their revised ideas after holding customer discovery interviews and advisor interviews. After each team presentation, Dr. Kushev, Dr. Li and Dr. Winny shared their feedback with the group. The guest speaker for this cohort was Isabel Gutierrez, a CPP I-Corps alumni and CEO of Vistendo. She presented about her experience during I-Corps as well as updates about her company after the program. She also shared about the steps she took to expand her company since graduating from Cal Poly Pomona. The I-Corps faculty team, Dr. Kushev, Dr. Lomiento, and Dr. Li, also gave LIVE lectures day 2.
Team Bios
Dr. Helen Trejo
Exploring Sustainable Footwear Materials and Wearable Technology
The apparel and footwear industry has a major environmental impact based on material use that involves non-renewable resources, such as water and energy, for fiber and textile production. Footwear can be made of up to 40 different materials, including rubber, synthetics, textiles, and leather. At the same time, developments in smart textiles and wearable technology is emerging. I propose to explore customers' interest in sustainable footwear with a detachable wearable technology. I hope to learn about their current experiences with footwear, major challenges, experiences with sustainability, and interests in wearable technology.
Dr. Joshua Chin
Affordable 5G Wireless Broadband Network Deployment
The California wildfires, Texas power shortages, and COVID-19 highlighted broadband disparity. Both man made and force majeure events demonstrated the importance of reliable telecommunications and our dependence on the internet. It was the critical lifeline in which we worked, shopped, communicated, and learned. As we emerge from the pandemic into a post COVID-19 world, the world has changed to a new normal. The world is ever more dependent and interdependent on reliable broadband internet. We want to close the digital divide by accelerating the rollout of affordable broadband through 5G. We believe our 5G technology solution can not only make it easier to connect rural and urban America together. We see it as a solution that can save lives, create new opportunities, and be a greener solution using less electricity and natural resources to help usher America into the next decade.
Jessica Bradford (No Spike)
In 2020, 1 in 10 Americans were diabetic, or 34.2 million people, and 1 in 3were considered pre-diabetic, or 88 million people. With such a large number of people (122.2 million individuals) watching their sugar intake, there is yet to be a strong brand name that supports this large population. Everyday product favorites, juices, jams, sauces have too much added sugar, and often no-sugar alternatives simply do not taste that good. No Spike products are designed to be diabetic friendly options so that those watching their sugar intake do not need to make everything from scratch anymore. With the use of allulose, fiber, and scientific research these products are designed to not spike sugar levels, and give diabetic individuals their favorite foods again, while ensuring their safety and saving on precious time. Everything made by No Spike is ensured to be diabetic friendly, as well as a low-sugar option.
Dr. Maryam Shafahi
To sustain an ever-growing population with incredible amount of waste generated daily, we need a return to circular economy and the culture of reduce, reuse and recycle. Leather production is among the most pollutant industrial processes in the world. With each piece of leather produced, comes a certain amount of carbon emission, water and energy consumption, water pollution and other environmental impacts. The goal of this project is to develop the process of reusing old leather pieces and return them to the market for a longer life cycle. We are building test machines to conduct test procedures to analyze old leather pieces and provide experimental data for the restoring process.
Jeffrey Saylors
Providing Organic Hops will prove to the craft brewery industry that the can have a new niche in the beer market. With over 80 Hop types, there could be new breeds cultivated for the master brewers. While using the latest technology from the Pulse, Crop Box we can become sustainable and scalable as we grow our business. The hydroponic approach will allow us to more cost effective in the long run. Efficiency is key and while we know that hops require more light for healthy growth...using the appropriate lighting that the Crop Box company will provide will get us there. With over200+ craft breweries in our state there is room for a new player in the market. Especially Organic Hops. After proving ourselves both inconsistency and service, we will explore the world of medicinal offerings of our Hop Organix products to the supplement health partners.
Dr. Saeideh Fallah Fini
Systems engineering is a methodology that focuses on how to design, develop, implement, and manage complex systems throughout their lifecycles. This approach is a common practice for space systems, characterized by their complexity and low tolerance for errors. Methodology is a document-centric approach, however with the increase in the use of digital modeling environments, Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) was introduced in which models replace the documents used in traditional systems engineering. MBSE is currently the standard practice at NASA and other large space companies. To allow forth design of any type of system, MBSE tools are very generic. Big companies usually allocate a significant amount of time/resources to develop models tailored to their needs. We propose to use generic and widely available software such as MATLAB-Simulink and its MBSE toolbox and develop a tool for design, development, integration, implementation, and management of systems specific to space missions.
Preni Amijanian
A streaming service which will allow the users to write reviews for the movies and series. The users will be able to share their opinions and chat with other users who share the same taste in movies. The idea I am aiming to achieve for my platform is to combine a streaming service with a social networking platform and add a comment section to it by giving the users the option to rate and review movies and shows. By giving the users the option to write reviews for the movies, the platform will help the users to not only read each others' comments but also to connect with each other and message each other using the direct messaging feature to talk about the movie they just watched, ask each others' opinions, and make new friends.
Julian Fernandez
Our product would address a concerning issue with public awareness that does cater to those of bike riders, daily commuters and runners who openly spend their time outside. The product is a simple set of sunglasses that would enable the wearer to have a general sense of presence behind them without needing to physically turn their head. Similar to "spy" sunglasses, a bottom corner reflective coating would enable those to gain a peripheral rear view of what or who may be behind them. This solution would bring piece of mind to those who enjoy spending their time outside as often as possible. This product can cater to almost any demographic that spends time outside and enjoys lone commutes giving it ideal potential for many various styles to choose from.
Paul Vander Werf
The caper plant (Capparis spinosa) has not been commercially harvested in the United States even though the UC Extension identified the plant as a possible crop for California in 1989. I believe the barriers to entering this market are (1) difficulty propagating the plant and (2) the high labor cost of picking the bud. Overcoming the labor cost could reasonably be done by using robotics to automate the process. This could also increase the quality as the smaller caper buds are generally of the superior quality. The team members have all grown up at the China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center and come from families of scientists who worked at the base. The latitude of the Indian Wells Valley (Ridgecrest, China Lake and Inyokern) is also the same latitude of the Mediterranean locations where capers are commercially harvested.
Dr. Patricia Coates
Extended stay RV parks are becoming ever more popular for retirees, military, contract workers, entrepreneurs and young families looking to travel and unplug from a typical lifestyle or by necessity because it is more economical. By their very nature, RV's offer limited space and RV parks who allow for long term stays generally have limited amenities such as pools, a playground and maybe a place to fish. Some have a small store or common area. Many have none of the aforementioned. Creating an agricultural and entrepreneur based RV Resort which establishes a farm, auto skills center, large workshop to work on vehicles (including RV's), a craft and sewing room with a long arm quilting machine, a woodworking shop, commercial kitchen and store, not only provides employment but also creates the ability for long term Rv'ers to have space to create and run a small business.
