Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 3
2026-01-30 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-3-2
Ignite Fellows for New Ventures is the flagship PhD & master’s‑level fellowship in Cornell’s Lab‑to‑Market gap‑fund series. Since its 2022 launch, the program has supported entrepreneurial scientists and engineers ready to turn research into high‑impact startups.
We’re now recruiting our 5th annual cohort, open to master’s graduates, doctoral candidates, and PhD holders. Fellows are matched with a Cornell faculty inventor and receive up to $120,000 in funding. They join as full‑time Cornell employees, working in the lab and engaging with our incubator network for business development.
This is your opportunity to build a business, lead as a founder, advance technology commercialization, and enrich Cornell’s venture ecosystem. Whether your ambition is to become CEO, CSO or CTO—or to apply your entrepreneurial mindset to bold new discoveries—Ignite is designed for you.
What we look for:

Big‑vision innovators who take calculated risks

Scientists or engineers ready to lead a venture

Partners who want to work alongside a Cornell faculty inventor

What you’ll get:

Funding up to $120 K to support you and your early‑stage work

Mentorship and training through Cornell’s startup ecosystem

Access to faculty lab resources, the incubator network, and startup infrastructure

Register here.

Ignite Fellow for New Ventures Info Session 4
2026-02-20 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/ignite-fellow-for-new-ventures-info-session-4-2026

Lab to Impact: A Red Apple from the Lab to Your Shopping Cart: The SNAPDRAGON® Story
2026-02-25 12:00 - 13:00 | https://ctl.cornell.edu/event/lab-to-impact-a-red-apple-from-the-lab-to-your-shopping-cart
Join us for an engaging discussion with Dr. Susan Brown, Cornell University’s renowned apple breeder, who will share the remarkable journey of commercializing the SNAPDRAGON® apple. Discover how a single cross-pollination in a Cornell research orchard in 1998 evolved into a premium apple variety now available in grocery stores nationwide.

In today’s competitive fruit marketplace, developing a successful new apple variety requires more than just exceptional tasting variety. A discussion of how the commercialization of SNAPDRAGON® parallels the modern startup journey, including challenges in intellectual property protection, strategic partnerships, and brand development. Familiar topics in bringing SNAPDRAGON® to market include navigating the product development landscape, market fit, scaling, and international expansion – challenges familiar to any entrepreneur.

This hour-long virtual discussion offers unique insights into how university innovations can successfully transition to the marketplace and challenge traditional academic approaches to plant breeding.
Register here.
