Invention Notebook

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  • The Food Allergy Detective

    The Food Allergy Detective

    This young inventor created an AI-enabled, electronic nose to sniff out allergens lurking in your food.

  • The Future of Farming May Be Vertical

    The Future of Farming May Be Vertical

    How Two Young Entrepreneurs Are Bringing a Fresh Perspective to Farming If all of the world’s farms could be combined, they would create a landmass larger than the continent of South America. That’s according to the new documentary film, “Vertical: The Future of Farming,” which follows several urban and indoor farmers in their quests toMore

  • Meet the Inventor of a Silicone Kitchen Mat That Saves Money — And the Environment

    Meet the Inventor of a Silicone Kitchen Mat That Saves Money — And the Environment

    A “secret sauce” of minerals embedded in the mat keeps produce-spoiling bacteria at bay, tackling the issue of household food waste. “I’m totally a tree-hugger at heart.” That’s how inventor and entrepreneur Dagan Kay describes himself. His description hints at the entire ethos behind his Portland, Oregon-based company, Produce Mate. The former philosophy major developed the…

  • Invention Roundup: Food Systems

    Invention Roundup: Food Systems

    Three Invention-Based Companies Whose Ideas Could Lead to a Healthier Future In honor of World Food Day, we’re spotlighting inventors whose work is rooted in rethinking food systems to benefit people and the planet. Across the world, hunger is the leading cause of death. Unequal access to food and inefficient supply chains leave millions of…

  • From Medical Student to Tech Entrepreneur

    From Medical Student to Tech Entrepreneur

    How One Inventor is Transforming Health Care in Rural India Through his startup company, Biosense, Abhishek Sen is helping remote communities in India get better testing for some of the country’s most pervasive diseases. How do you solve a chronic, widespread generational health problem in places where money and resources are scarce? That question led…

  • How Building Skateboards Inspired One Young Woman to Become an Engineer, Physicist — and Prizewinning Inventor

    How Building Skateboards Inspired One Young Woman to Become an Engineer, Physicist — and Prizewinning Inventor

    From a family of Vietnamese refugees and the only girl in her college physics program, Kayla Nguyen has overcome her share of obstacles. Now she’s working to encourage other women and girls interested in science. What do skateboards, surfing, and the astronaut Sally Ride have in common? For postdoctoral researcher Kayla Nguyen, they all played…

  • Invention for All

    Invention for All

    Lessons on How to Build a More Inclusive Ecosystem Note: All photos were taken before COVID-19 social distancing was put into effect. We are living in unprecedented times. Challenges are stacking up around us, from new emergencies like COVID-19 to existing issues like climate change. We are already seeing dramatic repercussions for our economy, our…

  • A New Model for Health Innovation in East Africa

    A New Model for Health Innovation in East Africa

    How our social enterprise providing life-saving medical oxygen responded to the pandemic, and showed the market opportunity for other inventors and entrepreneurs UPDATE: Since this article’s publication, Hewatele was awarded the inaugural Rotman Innovation of the Year Award by Grand Challenges Canada as one of its supported initiatives with the largest sustainable increase in lives saved orMore

  • Accessing Capital During a Pandemic: Resources for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

    Accessing Capital During a Pandemic: Resources for Early-Stage Entrepreneurs

    Key Tips and Insights into Funding Sources during COVID-19 Note: An earlier version of this article was originally published on VentureWell’s Inside Impact blog. In the best of times, securing funding for a venture as a student entrepreneur can be tricky work. As the startup industry braces for the impacts of the COVID-19More

  • Invention Roundup: The Next Stage of COVID-19 Inventions

    Invention Roundup: The Next Stage of COVID-19 Inventions

    From Virus-Killing Robots to Improved Telemedicine Inventors continue to pivot and direct their ideas and energy to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Low-cost, rapid detection of the virus is still an important need. But in the absence of a vaccine, inventors are also looking for different ways to efficiently sanitize surfaces and kill the virus before…

  • Finding and Creating the Next Generation of Inventors

    Finding and Creating the Next Generation of Inventors

    Why the Future of Invention, STEM, and Our Children Depends on Advancing Equity Note: All photos were taken at Oregon MESA events before COVID-19 social distancing was put into effect. This has been a difficult year so far. If 2020 has shown us anything, it is that we as a society desperately need problem solvers.…

  • Why Every STEM Graduate Needs to Be Environmentally Focused

    Why Every STEM Graduate Needs to Be Environmentally Focused

    NOTE: To learn more on this topic, visit the Engineering for One Planet website. The United Nations Environment Program has crowned June 5th World Environment Day. And although the pandemic may have caused many news desks to push aside climate change headlines for the time being, we cannot afford to forget theMore

  • How To Keep Kids Inspired During Quarantine

    How To Keep Kids Inspired During Quarantine

    “STEM-thusiast” Nate Ball Recommends Shifting Gears and Thinking Like an Inventor As pandemic life persists, millions of parents are facing the same daily dilemma: How to keep kids engaged and inspired in a time when so much of the world is off limits. For inventor and father of two Nate Ball, the solution involves equal…