NW Innovation Resource Center (NWIRC) will hold a free six-part course beginning on Saturday, Sept. 9 and ending on Saturday, Nov. 18. The course will be held in Everett, however anyone in the five counties of northwest Washington are encouraged to attend.
The course will take inventors, innovators, artists and other creatives through the process of turning an idea into a ready-for-market prototype. The subject of each session corresponds with a different stage in the entrepreneurial process; idea, research, prototype, test, market and launch. The course will take place every other week on Saturday mornings.
NWIRC Program Manager Lara Merriam-Smith, an experienced inventor and entrepreneur, will lead each session. She will be joined by other subject matter experts and mentors who will provide valuable insights into the process of building on an idea. “Ten years ago when I decided to take my invention to market there were very few options for getting help like this to make it easy,” Merriam-Smith said.
The Build it NOW course was developed to help meet the need the NWIRC has seen in its area. “Too often, inventors and innovators regret when they see their idea out there made by someone else. Fortunately, the Build It NOW course helps take that idea and transforms it into a market-ready prototype,” Merriam-Smith said. “Over the course of the last four years, we have found that using the innovative tools of Design Thinking with 3D printing—as well as some essential marketing materials—we can accelerate the process of getting that idea out of their head and into the real world.”
The course is free, however there is an application process to qualify. The application process will allow for smaller group sizes and more individualized assistance from Merriam-Smith. The most qualified candidates will have at least done some initial research about an idea. The NWIRC will also give priority to applicants from their territory (Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan and Island Counties). The application deadline is
Sunday, Aug. 20 and those who qualify will be notified by Tuesday, Aug. 22. Those interested in attending can apply at https://nwirc.com/build-it-now/.