Invention is critical to the future we all want
We believe that supporting invention education and entrepreneurship in U.S. higher education settings is crucial to preparing and cultivating the next generation of inventor entrepreneurs, while also preparing students to enter the fluid job landscape of the innovation economy.
By supporting student-led, invention-based projects and providing resources for mentorship and product incubation, we can create a pipeline of inventions that reach the marketplace to have social and environmental impact.
Our Approach
We focus our efforts on changing the culture and practice within higher education to support students to become inventor-entrepreneurs.
With the proper resources, they can turn their early ideas into marketable products that support scalable businesses that address big challenges and create jobs.
Two priorities in our work are:
- To increase the number of under-resourced and under-represented students who have access to resources to pursue invention and entrepreneurship.
- To elevate the importance of environmental responsibility – considering and minimizing negative environmental impacts – when designing and developing physical products.
Working through partners, we support programs that nurture student inventors on their journey to entrepreneurship and product creation, and address common barriers, including lack of access to funding, mentorship, prototyping lab space and market connections.