Scientific discovery is only the beginning. The real challenge is transforming breakthrough research into products and companies that improve lives.
Recorded live at BIO, this episode of The Commons features Leith Martin, Executive Director of the Pacific Desert Innovation Hub for NSF I-Corps, a program that is reshaping how researchers approach innovation and entrepreneurship across the Southwest. He is also Executive Director of the Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Lee Business School at UNLV, where he oversees entrepreneurship programs and the academic entrepreneurship curriculum.
Originally developed by the National Science Foundation, I-Corps has helped thousands of scientists and engineers learn a deceptively simple lesson: before building a company, you have to deeply understand the problem you’re trying to solve. Through customer discovery, market validation, and entrepreneurial training, researchers learn to test assumptions, engage potential users, and refine their ideas long before launching a startup.
In our conversation, Leith explains why some of the world’s most promising technologies never reach the marketplace, how I-Corps is helping bridge the gap between discovery and commercialization, and why entrepreneurial thinking has become an essential skill for today’s research community. We also discuss the role programs like the Pacific Desert Innovation Hub play in strengthening regional innovation ecosystems and accelerating the translation of research into economic and societal impact.
Whether you’re a scientist, entrepreneur, investor, or simply interested in how great ideas become real-world solutions, this conversation offers valuable lessons about the future of innovation.
