Intentional Growth Partners and Half-Solved Launch Cornell Program on Robust Venture Design
New graduate program at Cornell University aims to boost venture success rates and cut validation time and cost through systems-based venture design
Brookline, MA — July 21, 2026 — Intentional Growth Partners and Half Solved today announced their plans to deliver a new graduate-level program at Cornell University focused on designing robust ventures. The program is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) through its Innovation Partnerships program, which facilitates project teaming, attracts investment, and strengthens the energy innovation ecosystem in New York State.
Launching Fall 2026, the project-based program teaches graduate students a systems-based methodology for designing ventures that are robust and resilient at launch—built to remain profitable despite higher-than-expected costs, lower-than-anticipated demand, and unforeseen market shifts. Real-world energy projects provide the live learning lab, giving students a real technology or market challenge to work on.
The program addresses a critical challenge in energy and infrastructure innovation: ventures in these sectors face long deployment cycles, significant capital requirements, and complex regulations, and innovators need training in structuring and scaling new businesses.
"Software startups can launch fast, iterate cheaply, and treat the business model as something to figure out along the way," said Ryan Legg, Founder of Intentional Growth Partners. "That playbook doesn't translate well to hard-tech and deep-tech. When you're making real, physical things like energy systems, infrastructure, and hardware, the cost of learning by failing is orders of magnitude higher. Profitability can't be discovered after the fact. It has to be designed-in from the start.”
The course is delivered in partnership with Half-Solved, a venture design firm that developed the methodology working with global corporations including Barclays, BMW, Pearson, Mars, and Procter & Gamble. “Systems engineering exists to de-risk complex, high-uncertainty projects, and a new venture is exactly that,” stated Erik Simanis, Founding Partner at Half Solved. “We built this methodology by taking its core principles seriously: unpacking the first-principles science behind market creation to identify the specific functions and requirements that drive commercial performance and engineering for them from the start.” Together with Cornell's Systems Engineering program, the initiative combines academic rigor with applied venture design principles.
"This approach aligns completely with how we teach systems engineering," said Clifford Whitcomb, Professor of the Practice in Systems Engineering at Cornell University. "In our discipline, we design solutions to be robust against uncertainty and variation—that's one of the core principles. Here we are applying that same discipline to entrepreneurship and new corporate venture partnerships."
Program Structure
Corporate engagement will provide real-world energy challenges or emerging technologies as starting points for design. Throughout the semester, corporate partners will participate in iterative design reviews with student teams, culminating in final presentations showcasing venture blueprints. By teaching venture creators and corporate decision-makers to design for profitability from the outset, the program aims to reduce the time and capital required to build new, commercially sustainable ventures.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, "New York continues to lead in advancing clean energy innovation, and NYSERDA is proud to support International Growth Partners and Cornell University in delivering this new graduate-level program. By supporting up-and-coming entrepreneurs and innovators as they move breakthrough ideas from research to commercialization, this collaborative effort will help bring new promising technologies to market, accelerate private sector growth, and strengthen the state's clean energy economy.”
Partnership OpportunitiesThere are opportunities to engage with the Fall 2026 cohort. By engaging in the course, partners will gain:
Direct exposure to a proven venture design methodology
A customized venture architecture addressing their specific technology or market challenge
Access to Cornell graduate talent and systems engineering expertise
Training in systems-based venture design principles for executive teams
To inquire about partnership opportunities, please contact Ryan Legg at ryan@intentionalgrowth.partners
About Intentional Growth Partners
Intentional Growth Partners specializes in translating complex systems challenges into actionable commercial strategies for infrastructure, energy, and climate leaders launching new businesses and leading new industries. www.intentionalgrowth.partners
About Half-Solved
Half-Solved has pioneered a venture design methodology focused on building ventures that are economically robust under real-world conditions. The methodology has been applied across industries and geographies with organizations including Barclays, BMW, Mars, and Procter & Gamble. www.half-solved.com
About Cornell University Systems Engineering
Cornell University's Systems Engineering program is a leader in teaching integrated approaches to complex problems, emphasizing the design of systems that are robust, resilient, and optimized for real-world conditions. www.cornell.edu
