Innovation Co-Lab

The Co-Lab helps the innovators of today while training the innovators of tomorrow.

Who we are:

The Innovation Co-Lab is a department of Oregon State University-Cascades that helps innovators turn their ideas into reality.

At the same time, we train tomorrow's innovators by giving them experiential learning opportunities that grow businesses or non-profits.

Who we work with:

We work with innovators, creators, founders, and managers in the community as well as the university. We work with:

Startups
Businesses
Nonprofits

Our services are available to the public.

Our Impact

We help our clients build and sell new, amazing things. As a result, we create jobs, help our clients get funding, and grow the economy in Oregon.

At the same time, our student interns learn through real-world projects and build skills they can use in their careers.

Get Coaching and Mentorship

The Co-Lab provides one-on-one coaching. As a Co-Lab client, we help you stay accountable to your goals, lower the risk of starting a business, and help you learn:

How to start a company
How to start a nonprofit
How to build a brand
How to setup social media
How to design a new product or service offering
How to create a software app
How to automate data collecting and reporting
How to find funding
How to align with your team or board of directors
How to write a grant
How to write a pitch

Additionally, you may join our facilitated startup group with Opportunity Knocks or join our online mentor network.

EMAIL US TO GET STARTED

Sign Up for a Workshop

The Co-Lab and Opportunity Knocks are running a Launchpad Workshop in November 2022.

This introductory workshop will discuss how you can:

Refine your product or service idea
Identify who your true customer is
Develop a product or service (and save money doing it)
Create effective ways to reach your customers
Entrepreneurs that finish the program are eligible to join the OK Accelerator Group. In this group, you will join other entrepreneurs and get ongoing support:
Learn how to overcome business challenges that are specific to your business.
Build your brand, website, social media, and advertising campaigns.
Find and get funding,
Find independent contractors that can help you build your product or service.
Learn how to set up bookkeeping, accounting, and financial tracking without the headache.

REGISTER

Work with Our Student Consultancy

Learn more about how the Co-Lab works with businesses and nonprofits while helping students develop job skills.

Client Projects

The Co-Lab employs student interns as junior consultants that work on a variety of projects. With coaching from the Executive Director, business students build marketing plans, setup social media for clients, research leads, and manage projects. Computer Science students build web apps, mobile apps, data dashboards and more.

Additionally, the Co-Lab runs a high-school program each summer called STEM-Pathways to teach high-schoolers about how to create products. In this paid internship, students complete up to 2 projects for local businesses, government agencies, or nonprofits. In 2021, students built sensors in conjunction with the Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership and in 2022, students completed the pitch for DreamUp and built a data and grant tracking dashboard for Central Oregon STEM Hub.

Ecosystem and Infrastructure Projects

The Executive Director and student consultants also take on projects to benefit the community. For examples, the Co-Lab assisted with the disbursement of several million dollars of Small Business Relief Funds with Central Oregon Intergovernmental Counsel, is the principal investigator for building an Innovation Hub in Central Oregon and is assisting with the development of the Innovation District on OSU-Cascades’ campus.

LEARN MORE