I Need an Advisor
The Severino Center and its advisor network have extensive expertise to guide innovators through all stages of development – from idea to commercialization. Speak to Severino Center staff, get coaching from a member of the RPI AdVenture Team, seek advice from a member of the RPI BrainTrust, or talk to an attorney. Get the help you need to be successful.
The AdVenture Team is standing by. Need coaching on how to launch your idea? Want to speak to an experienced entrepreneur or venture advisor? RPI has assembled a pool of coaches with the experience to walk inventors through all stages of venture development, from idea to exit. Schedule a one-on-one with a member of the AdVenture Team now.
Contact severinocenter@rpi.edu to schedule an appointment with the AdVenture Team.
The Severino Center has leveraged RPI’s comprehensive network of industry leaders, successful entrepreneurs, and other partners to guide innovators through all stages of venture development.
The RPI BrainTrust is a curated network of industry experts and professional advisors to support innovators.
Industry Experts: We have assembled a roster of industry experts in a broad range of domains who will provide case-specific free advice related to their sector. Example domains include artificial intelligence and computing, biotechnology and medical devices, energy and the built environment, advanced manufacturing, materials, and much more.
Professional Advisors: We have created partnerships with elite technical advisors who have specific experience working with early-stage ventures. These advisors provide free guidance on topics including corporate formation, financial accounting, fundraising, patent law, and much more.
Contact severinocenter@rpi.edu to schedule an appointment with the BrainTrust Venture Advisor Network.
Having the right legal counsel is critical to the long-term success of a new venture. Protect your ideas, protect your company, and protect yourself by getting the right legal advice from the beginning. In addition to the legal experts in the BrainTrust, RPI has established special partnerships with the elite law firm Gunderson Dettmer and with the Albany Law School Community Economic Development Clinic.
Gunderson Dettmer is a specialty law firm that provides services to ventures during every stage of the lifecycle, from startups to publicly traded companies. Gunderson Dettmer has the expertise to provide strategic solutions at every business phase. From corporate governance and strategy to financing and transactions, Gunderson Dettmer can provide expert advice.
Contact severinocenter@rpi.edu to schedule an appointment with Gunderson Dettmer.
Community Economic Development Clinic is a legal resource for individuals, startups, small businesses, nonprofits, and grassroots groups to increase access to transactional legal services. The Justice Center holds free advice clinics and provides access to a pool of attorneys who provide assistance in business entity formation, representation on transactional matters, governance, and contracts.
Contact severinocenter@rpi.edu to schedule an appointment with the Justice Center.
Many members of the renowned RPI faculty are experienced innovators, entrepreneurs, and venture advisors. The Severino Center has assembled an elite group of Faculty Fellows to help launch ventures from campus to the world. Contact severinocenter@rpi.edu to schedule an appointment with a Faculty Fellow.
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I Want to Learn
View RPI's wide range of entrepreneurship-related courses and other opportunities to engage with the startup community through events, seminars, and networking. Additionally, access resources such as the Catalyst Incubator, NSF I-Corps Program, and Bridge Accelerator to support early-stage ventures.
The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program is designed to aid academic research and STEM-based innovations in the transition from lab to practical application in society. In partnership with MIT and the NE Regional I-Corps Node, Rensselaer offers a 3.5 week program to undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff from capital region colleges and universities. Teams start in the program with research-based concepts and conduct interviews with potential customers as well as the business model canvas to understand the potential of launching a startup.
Team ideas or projects can originate from research (funded or unfunded) or institutional or industrial projects, as well as STEM-based student work. The topical focus of a project can be (but is not limited to) medical devices, new materials, software, physical products, the internet of things, hardware, wearables, etc. The program provides infrastructure, guidance, resources, networking opportunities, training, and modest funding to give groups the ability to explore the marketplace beyond their campus borders.
Upon completion of the I-Corps regional program, participants may be eligible to apply for the NSF I Corps Team program -- an intensive seven-week NSF training with the opportunity to be awarded a $50,000 grant -- as well as many other funding opportunities.
- What is I-Corps? Why should I participate?
- Hear from teams who experienced this program
- View past team descriptions
- Apply to join the next cohort
Jan 3 - Jan 26: UAlbany (Virtual) Cohort Apply
Feb 20 - Mar 26 RPI (Hybrid) Cohort Apply
Where Can I Go?
Discover the incredible innovation hubs across RPI’s campus, from cutting-edge makerspaces like The Forge and MILL to the dynamic Rensselaer Technology Park, where world-class companies collaborate on transformative technologies. Whether you're building, designing, or developing, these spaces are where ideas come to life and breakthrough discoveries happen.
People
Contact Us at severinocenter@rpi.edu
- The Forge: Student Makerspace
- MILL: Manufacturing Innovation Learning Laboratory
- JEC Student Machine Shop
- Haas Technical Center / IED / Design Lab
- School of Architecture Woodshop
- Mercer XLab
- Digital Fabrication Lab
- ProFab Studio
- MILL Expansion Demo Room
- Hearst Digital Manufacturing Lab (HDML)
- Center for Excellence in Digital Game Development
- Studio West
- Student Sandbox
- J-Building Incubator Space
- Rensselaer Augmented and Virtual Environment
The Rensselaer Technology Park attracts world-renowned companies collaborating to make a positive impact on society. If you are a technology-related business engaged in light manufacturing, software development, cutting-edge research, consulting services or any other enterprise in support of technology, consider joining our community.
The mission of the Rensselaer Technology Park campus is to attract a diversity of technologies, especially those technologies reflective of the varied technological strengths of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, to develop collaborations that will make a positive impact on society.
A fundamental objective of the Rensselaer Technology Park campus is to develop interactions between tenant companies and the university, especially partnerships with signature thrust research initiatives. Such interactions enrich the educational environment of the university and help the companies stay on the leading edge of their technologies.
Learn more about the Rensselaer Tech Park here.