GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Empowering ideas and connecting innovators at GW

University / ResearchWashington, DC

About GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

What it is

The GW Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (OIE) is the George Washington University's university-wide hub for startups and research commercialization. Founded in 2010, it sits under the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and coordinates co-curricular, extracurricular and incubation programs for students, faculty, researchers and alumni across every school. The office is based at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 7th Floor, in Washington, DC. OIE reports serving more than 10,000 participants and more than 4,000 teams, with $1.8B in follow-on financing raised by participants.

What it offers founders

Programs follow an Innovator's Journey of Educate, Train and Incubate:

Innovator's Academy: extracurricular workshops based on the NSF I-Corps regional curriculum, attended in person, virtually or by recording, that prepare teams for Pitch George, the New Venture Competition and I-Corps.
New Venture Competition (NVC): GW's annual startup competition with six tracks and nearly $400K in total prizes, including $157K in cash.
Lean Startup Short Course: a virtual, roughly three-week bootcamp, run four times a year, requiring at least 20 customer interviews.
National I-Corps at GW: a seven-week NSF customer discovery program for research teams, with grants of up to $50,000 for participants.
Mentorship: appointments with Mentors-in-Residence, who can bring in industry mentors and subject experts in legal, finance, technology and SBIR grants.

Who it is for

Most programs are built for the GW community: current students, faculty, staff, researchers and alumni. The NVC requires a team led by a current GW student, with at least half the team GW-affiliated, and the venture must be no more than four years old with under $400,000 in total revenue. The Lean Startup Short Course is open beyond GW: it is free for qualified members of US higher education institutions and federal labs, and costs $4,000 for non-affiliated participants. National I-Corps requires a technology connected to a university.

How to engage

Founders new to OIE can start by booking a Mentor-in-Residence through the mentorship page, or by attending an Innovator's Academy session such as Pitching to Win or Introduction to Lean Innovation. Student teams ready to compete should review eligibility and tracks on the NVC how to apply page. Research teams interested in I-Corps should email icorps@gwu.edu before applying; GW staff forward an executive summary to the NSF I-Corps Mid-Atlantic Hub for review. A full list of offerings is on the programs page, and general questions go to innovate@gwu.edu or 202-994-2776.

Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem

OIE connects GW founders to federal research commercialization pathways through I-Corps and SBIR-focused programming, and its Lean Startup Short Course runs dual-use specific cohorts. For founders outside GW, the Lean Startup Short Course is the clearest entry point, since it is open to anyone ready to test commercial viability.

Programs

New Venture Competition
Annual GW startup competition across six tracks, from Consumer Goods and Services to Democracy Innovation, with nearly $400K in total prizes including $157K in cash.
Innovator's Academy
Extracurricular workshop series following the NSF I-Corps regional curriculum, available in person, virtually or by recording, that prepares teams for Pitch George, the NVC and I-Corps.
Lean Startup Short Course
Virtual bootcamp of about three weeks, run four times a year, on customer segments, value propositions and go-to-market, with at least 20 customer interviews and 1:1 mentor office hours.
National I-Corps at GW
Seven-week NSF entrepreneurial training for research teams of three to five, requiring at least 100 customer interviews, with participant grants of up to $50,000.
Mentors-in-Residence
One-on-one mentor appointments for GW students, staff, faculty and alumni, with access to industry mentors and subject matter experts from the OIE Mentor Community.
Introduction to Lean Innovation
Introductory session on lean innovation methods offered as part of OIE programming.
Industry Advisory Panels
OIE program connecting ventures with industry advisors.

Who it serves

GW students, faculty, staff, researchers and recent alumni building startups or commercializing research, plus outside university and federal lab teams through the Lean Startup Short Course.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be affiliated with GW to use OIE programs?

Most programs, including the New Venture Competition and Mentor-in-Residence appointments, are for the GW community. The Lean Startup Short Course is open to others: free for qualified members of US higher education institutions and federal labs, and $4,000 for non-affiliated participants. Others can email innovate@gwu.edu to ask about mentorship.

Who can enter the New Venture Competition?

Teams must be led by a current GW student, be at least 50 percent GW-affiliated, and have no more than five members. The venture must be no more than four years old with less than $400,000 in total revenue.

How much prize money does the NVC offer?

The NVC site lists nearly $400K in total prizes, including $157K in cash split among winners plus specialty and in-kind prizes, and over $2M awarded historically.

What funding comes with National I-Corps?

Participants are eligible for grants of up to $50,000. Teams of three to five complete at least 100 customer interviews over seven weeks. Email icorps@gwu.edu before applying.

Where is the office?

OIE is at 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC. Contact innovate@gwu.edu or 202-994-2776.