ITEN, a division of Lindenwood University, announces the launch of the Eureka Experience. Powered by LEANSTACK, a global leader in entrepreneurship methodology, Eureka is designed to accelerate entrepreneurs in the first two stages of their commercialization journey – ideation and validation.
“Eureka addresses one of the most critical hurdles faced by tech entrepreneurs, validating product or market fit and business model development,” said Mary Louise Helbig, Executive Director. “Our goal for introducing Eureka is to identify startups, at the earliest stage possible, who have the greatest potential for success and guide them through the commercialization process then follow-up with additional ITEN programs and referrals to our community partners.”
Eureka Experience has two components, Ideation and Validation. Now through Oct.18, entrepreneurs can enroll in Ideation, a free 8-week program exploring potential business models which results in an executable roadmap for early traction. “Combining the proven LEANSTACK methodology and tools with our robust network of mentors and resources creates the ideal environment for entrepreneurs to test what’s worth pursuing, and creates a roadmap to make it happen,” said Melissa Grizzle, Director of Entrepreneur Development. “This first component of the Eureka Experience compels entrepreneurs to test the feasibility, viability, and desirability of their solutions to ensure they are investing time, money, and other resources in ones with the strongest market fit.”
Ideation is designed to prepare startups for the second component of Eureka Experience, Validation. Validation will announce its inaugural cohort in Jan. 2021. In addition to an expanded LEANSTART curriculum, startups selected for this elite program will have access to strong wraparound services including student research teams and access to corporations serving as early adopters and pilot program participants.
Eureka Experience: Ideation is available free of charge to ITEN companies through the generous support of Lindenwood University. To learn more about Eureka and joining ITEN, visit itenstl.org.
ITEN is a division of Lindenwood University and has been a catalyst for technology innovation in the St. Louis region since 2008. ITEN supports tech entrepreneurs in the successful launch of new companies by delivering educational programs and events, collaborative corporate and community partnerships, and a robust network of experienced mentors. To date, ITEN has supported over 1,200 startups with more than 140 startups currently engaged in programming. ITEN is also a leader in community initiatives and events including the Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective, St. Louis Startup Week, Startup Connection, and the Vision Inclusion Symposium.
