Women Innovators Initiative (WI2)
The Women Innovators Initiative is a Cornell initiative to Engage, Empower, and Grow women faculty, staff, and graduate students in the path toward technology innovation and entrepreneurial leadership.
Goals:
- Introduce women faculty, staff and students to technology innovation and commercialization, and help increase their participation in inventorship.
- Support their interests and exploration in entrepreneurship and leadership roles.
Programs:
- WI2 Event series
- A series of seminars, webinars, and networking events.
- Learn from inspiring women inventors and entrepreneurs
- WI2 Mentor program
- Match mentors (seasoned women innovators, entrepreneurs, and/or investors) with mentee (aspiring and novice inventors and entrepreneurs).
- Cultivate the next generation of leaders with the help of our volunteering alumnae.
Details:
- WI2 Events
- WI2 Mentor program
- Duration: Commitment of a year.
Eligibility criteria / Requirements
Mentors | Mentee | |
---|---|---|
Who | Alumnae volunteers who are willing to provide advice and perspectives on technology innovation, commercialization, startups and other related activities. | Cornell Faculty, Staff (post-doctoral fellows), and Grad students who are interested in technology, commercialization and new ventures and wish to learn from experienced women leaders |
Background | Experienced in technology commercialization, and Startup creation | Conducting research at Cornell |
Process | Review a list of pre-selected candidates | Express a substantiated interest in the program |
Match | Select up to three mentees per year | One designed mentor |
Commitment | At least two meetings per mentee in a year. Willing to share email with mentee. |
At least two one-on-one meeting with mentor per year Respectful of mentor time Responsive to mentor’s emails |
For Mentees:
Application process:
- Submit online application here.
- The team at CTL will screen the application and will propose them for review to the mentors.
- Once selected, mentees are introduced to their mentor through a virtual introduction.
For more information, please contact Lynda Inseque at Lci2@cornell.edu
For mentors:
If you are interested in serving as a mentor, please contact Lynda Inseque at Lci2@cornell.edu.
Related Opportunities & Events
Opportunity for Weill Faculty members:
- Weill Women Innovators investment opportunity
- The BioVenture eLab, which is part of Biopharma Alliances & Research Collaborations, is collaborating with AmplifyHer Ventures on a competition open exclusively to Weill Cornell Medicine associated companies, led or founded by a woman.
Up to $50,000 will be founded in a startup.
Applications Due: January 15, 2021
Winner Presentations at Startup Symposium: February 25, 2021
Download the announcement and application instructions here.
- The BioVenture eLab, which is part of Biopharma Alliances & Research Collaborations, is collaborating with AmplifyHer Ventures on a competition open exclusively to Weill Cornell Medicine associated companies, led or founded by a woman.
Opportunity for Faculty members:
-
Organized by our counterpart at Washington University in St. Louis, Equalize is a virtual mentor program and a pitch competition to empower academic entrepreneurs.
- Info session on January 26, 2021.
Deadline to apply: January 31, 2021
Equalize has 3 categories – Therapeutics, Med Device and Diagnostics, and Physical and Computer Sciences.
Register: https://equalize.wustl.edu/equalize-2021-application-info-session-jan-26/
More information can be found at Equalize 2021. https://equalize.wustl.edu/
- Info session on January 26, 2021.