Many promising ideas fail not because they were poorly executed, but because they were poorly chosen. Before committing time, capital, or reputation to a new idea, innovators must determine whether the opportunity is truly worth pursuing. This course introduces the disciplined front-end analysis needed to translate research and early ideas into viable real-world opportunities. Through case studies, interactive exercises, and practical frameworks, participants will learn to evaluate opportunities with intellectual rigor, assess evidence, and clearly communicate whether an idea is worth advancing. Emphasis on professional skills of: communication, project management, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and networking, resilience and adaptability.

Key topics include:

  • Identifying the critical assumptions that must be true for a research insight to become a viable venture;
  • Evaluating the potential and scale of the commercial opportunity, including market size and the forces shaping the industry;
  • Assessing the strength of the problem–solution landscape, including customer urgency and existing alternatives.

By the end of the course, you’ll have a structured toolkit for stress-testing research ideas and innovation opportunities, helping them move from curiosity to confident next steps.

Remote Synchronous

Five every-other-Monday evenings from September through November:

Mon, Sept 7: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Mon, Sept 21: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Mon, Oct 5: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Mon, Oct 19: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Mon, Nov 2: 7:15pm-9:55pm

Faculty: Maureen “Moe” Rinkunas, MBA, MS is Director of Insights Membership at Rock Health, where she helps enterprise leaders navigate the evolving digital health landscape and evaluate emerging innovation opportunities. Her career spans startup creation, venture investing, and corporate innovation roles at organizations including Redesign Health, Corbion, Coplex, DuPont Venture, and Dreamit Ventures. Across these roles, she has helped entrepreneurs and organizations assess new ideas, validate opportunities, and translate research and technology into successful ventures. Moe is also a startup mentor, NSF I-Corps instructor, and adjunct faculty member at Lehigh University, where she teaches courses on technical entrepreneurship and research translation. She holds an MBA and both MS and BS degrees in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University.