National Science Foundation I-Corps Program
2019 - 2020 Teams
Adaptive Orthopedix
Developing more comfortable and breathable orthopedic equipment
Team Members
Nickolas McTish – Entrepreneur, Founder, Adaptive Orthopedix
Dr. Marietta Scanion – Academic Lead, Assistant Teaching Professor, Penn State
Dr. Martin Ross – Mentor, General Orthopedic Surgeon
Adjustable Wheelchair Armrests
Worked to develop a new, more comfortable and more adjustable armrest for wheelchairs
Team Members
Emily Bowman – Entrepreneur, Founder, Adjustable Wheelchair Armrests
Sadan Kulturel-Konak – Academic Lead, Idea TestLab Mentor
Arbitrator Intelligence
Developed an online platform to collect and analyze data related to arbitration and arbitrator selection
Team Members
Catherine A. Rogers – Founder and CEO of Arbitrator Intelligence, Professor of Law, Penn State
Susan Stewart – CFO/COO at Arbitrator Intelligence
Alan Crain – Chairman, Board of Directors at Arbitrator Intelligence
Arentz Adjustables
Developing a new design of patient table for therapeutic uses
Team Members
Georgia Arentz – Entrepreneur, Founder, Arentz Adjustables
Sadan Kulturel-Konak – Academic Lead, Director, Flemming Creativity
Randy Saylor – Mentor, CEO, The Teq Group
BioRun
Developed a new hybrid bioprinting approach, which enables BioRun to pick and precisely bioprint a wide range of biologics into/onto a gel substrate with minimal cellular damage
Team Members
Bugra Ayan – Entrepreneur, PhD Candidate, Penn State
Ibrahim Tarik Ozbolat – Academic Lead, Associate Professor, Penn State
Enigma Networkz
A SaaS cybersecurity company built to provide organizations with enriched security insights and actionable alerts by leveraging their existing security infrastructure and investments with Enigma Networkz’s platform
Team Members
Mark Viglione – Entrepreneur, Founder, Enigma Networkz
Michael Bartolacci – Academic Lead, Professor of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State
Chris Kohl – Mentor, CIO, Vertex, Inc.
FishGods
Developed a tool for outdoor enthusiasts that helps them become active in cleaning up our earth’s plastic pollution, “One Clean Earth Bag at a Time.”
Team Members
Tyler Waltenbaugh – Entrepreneur, Founder, FishGods
Anthony Peyronel – Academic Lead, Professor of Public Relations, Edinboro University
Girls Code the World
Nonprofit that provides opportunities, resources, and role models for young girls in STEM-related fields through a series of education programs and extended mentorships
Team Members
Sydney Gibbard – Entrepreneur, Founder, Girls Code the World
Lee Erickson – Academic Lead, Chief Amplifier, Happy Valley LaunchBox
Eli Kariv – Mentor, Founder and Advisor, The Coding Space
JobMatch
Startup in the job search and hiring space
Team Members
Steve Lutz – Entrepreneur, Founder, JobMatch
Steve Carpenter – Academic Lead, Adjunct Instructor, Penn State
Scott Johnson – Business Mentor, Entrepreneur in Residence, Ben Franklin
Jones and Karaffa Technologies
Team Members
Andrew Jones – Entrepreneur, Founder, Jones and Karaffa Technologies
Dr. Marietta Scanlon – Academic Lead, Head of EMET Program, Penn State
METR
Team Members
John Stogin – Entrepreneur, Founder, Metr
Lee Erickson – Academic Lead, Chief Amplifier, Happy Valley LaunchBox
Russ Lawrence – Mentor, Director of Innovation
M2 Additive Manufacturing LLC
Developed a new extruder for use in 3D printing that allows for a much wider range of material usage
Team Members
Michael Paul – Entrepreneur, Founder, M2 Additive Manufacturing LLC
Bob Dornich – Academic Lead, Director, The TechCelerator
Regenerative Education Evolution Lab (REEL)
Developed a student tracking system for first semester medical students identifying student at risk of not passing using a distributed retrieval practice algorithm
Team Members
Raymond Robinson – Entrepreneur, Founder, REEL
Soundar Kumara – Academic Lead, Professor, Penn State
Allan Darr – Mentor, Serial Entrepreneur
SwiftCheck
Developed a way to provide a swift, technology driven, accurate background check reports to employers
Team Members
Aaron Cotter – Entrepreneur, Company President, SwiftCheck
Dr. Rujirutana Mandhachitara – Academic Lead, Associate Professor, Penn State
Mike Bauer – Mentor, Chief Product Officer, MachineShop
StudVent
Seeks to build awareness of student-started companies by giving them a platform to tell the world what they are doing and what they need to grow their companies
Team Members
Maxim Clouser – Entrepreneur, Founder, StudVent
Lee Erickson – Academic Lead, Chief Amplifier, Happy Valley LaunchBox
Michael Clouser – Mentor, Co-Founder, The Startup Race
Tilt-a-Bowl
Developing an assistive cooking device that provides a light but stable bowl that can be tilted and locked in place then scraped with one hand
Team Members
Elizabeth Pfisterer – Entrepreneur, Founder, Tilt-a-Bowl
Jacob Marsh – Academic Lead, Industry Relations Coordinator, Penn State
Tim Ritter – Mentor, CEO, Universal Protective Packaging, Inc.
Verde Mantis
Designed a 3D printer that delivers the most hassle-free 3d printing experience available
Team Members
Joseph Sinclair – Entrepreneur, Founder, Verde Mantis
Timothy W. Simpson – Academic Lead, Director, Additive Manufacturing & Design Graduate Program, Penn State
Viaduct Tool Library
Developed an app to integrate with a library of tools to assist with checking in and checking out tools as well as track analytics on tool borrowing
Team Members
Zachary Monnier – Entrepreneur, Founder, Viaduct Tool Library
Annie L. Hughes – Academic Lead, Director, Harrisburg LaunchBox
Wavelength LLC
Developed a creative marketplace connecting musicians to visual/audio creators such as graphic designers, videographers, photographers, audio engineers, etc.
Team Members
Oluwasanmi Ariyo – Entrepreneur, Founder, Wavelength LLC
Lee Erikson – Academic Lead, Chief Amplifier, Happy Valley LaunchBox
Will Toms – Mentor, Chief Brand Officer, RecPhilly