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Embracing Black Ingenuity: Beyond Black History Month
Each February brings me a deeper appreciation for Black History Month. Yet, alongside this admiration, I can’t help but grapple with mixed feelings. We dedicate a mere 28 days to honoring the remarkable achievements of Black individuals in American history. Despite the community events and workplace discussions, Black History Month often feels like a mere…
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Sparking Imagination, Empowering Ingenuity
Why We Must Celebrate and Support the Inventive Spirit A message from Rob Schneider, Executive Director, The Lemelson Foundation National Inventors’ Day, observed annually on February 11th, serves as a reminder of the transformative power of human ingenuity. It’s a day to recognize and celebrate the individuals who dare to challenge the status quo, who…
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The Transformative Power of Invention Education
This approach to STEM learning ignites creativity, instills lifelong skills, and fuels the innovation economy. How do we ensure that school is not a limiting factor for creativity and innovation, but instead instills an inventive mindset in our students? Our answer is Invention Education. This op-ed in Invention Notebook — authored by Elizabeth Stock and…
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Mentorship in STEM and Invention Education
These ten educators are empowering teachers and the rising generation of inventors and innovators.
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From Waste to Wattage
This student inventor uses an innovative renewable energy source to help monitor natural disasters.
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New Year’s Resolutions for the Impact Incubation Industry
What all accelerators and funders should know to overcome the challenges to being a successful social impact incubator In the field of social impact entrepreneurship, incubators and accelerators play a critical role. Without them, countless innovative ideas to solve sustainable development challenges would remain just that — ideas without tangible impact. And many entrepreneurs in…
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Building Climate Innovation Opportunities in Africa
Next month, at COP 28, leaders from across the globe will meet to take action toward the biggest issues in climate change, including financing for Africa. The continent is at the forefront of the world’s most acute climate disasters, yet it receives just 4.7% of total global climate financing — a fraction of the US$2.7…
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This High-Schooler is Harnessing Chemistry to Combat Pollution
(Pictured above: Lemelson Foundation Senior Program Officer David Coronado, at left, and Tarun Batchu, at right, at the Raytheon Technologies Invention Convention U.S. Nationals 2023) An award-winning student inventor, Tarun Batchu has discovered an eco-friendly way to convert plastics into fuel. Humans produce millions of tons of plastic waste every year, much of which ends…
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To Empower Impact Entrepreneurs to Solve the World’s Problems, First Support the Incubators
In its early days, the Covid-19 pandemic brought most activities to a grinding halt. But there’s one activity that it absolutely ignited: medical innovation. Imagine microbrewers in North Carolina jumping lanes to make hand sanitizer instead of beer, or a 3-D printing startup in Kenya using its machines to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE), or…