David Coronado joined The Lemelson Foundation in 2016. Currently, he serves as Director of Invention Education, which equips schools and school districts across the U.S. with tools and resources that empower youth to design their own futures.
Coronado is the founder of InventEd, a Lemelson Foundation initiative focused on developing and nurturing a national coalition of Invention Education leaders to encourage field-building, collaboration, and advocacy efforts to ensure that all youth — especially those who have been traditionally underserved — have access to experiences and tools that build their inventive mindsets.
His previous experience includes providing young people with equal and inclusive access to Invention Education and STEM coursework within K-12 systems and in higher education. At Harvey Mudd College, he worked on federal TRIO programs in STEM. In addition, he was Executive Director of Oregon MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) at Portland State University, where he designed courses and programs aimed at retaining historically underserved students at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. He served as the President of MESA USA and is chair emeritus of the national STEM Funder’s Network.
Coronado has received local and national recognition for his work and service, including Portland State University’s Mary H. Cumpston Award for Service to Students. He is proud to be the first member of his family to graduate from college, holding a BA in History from Occidental College. His outside interests include baseball, photography, and Making.
