Impact Spotlights

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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.

  • This Invention Helps Open the Door to Accessibility

    This Invention Helps Open the Door to Accessibility

    A pattern-sensing doormat was inspired by eighth grader Jeanelle Dao’s family history with hand disability. An eighth grader at Stratford San Jose Middle School in California, Jeanelle Dao is unlocking a solution to a problem that she learned about through her grandfather. He had arthritis in his hands, which made opening doors with a key…

  • From STEM to Spotify: How an After-School Invention Program Helped Launch a Career in Big Tech

    From STEM to Spotify: How an After-School Invention Program Helped Launch a Career in Big Tech

    After moving from Vietnam to the U.S. in fourth grade, Spotify engineer Thien Nguyen discovered his love for math, as well as a supportive community, through his new school’s MESA program. Engineer Thien Nguyen discovered his facility for numbers and a supportive community through Invention Education. Thien Nguyen was born in Vietnam and lived there…

  • This College Inventor Is Making Medicine More Equitable

    This College Inventor Is Making Medicine More Equitable

    University of Iowa sophomore Dasia Taylor has created low-cost, infection-sensing stitches.  Inventor Dasia Taylor is one of those people who seems destined to change the world. At just 14 years old, she was consulting at Harvard on the topic of equity. Now 19, Dasia is in the process of patenting her first medical device —…

  • This Georgia Classroom Runs on Invention Education

    This Georgia Classroom Runs on Invention Education

    At Smyrna Elementary School near Atlanta, prizewinning student inventor Audrey Cristelli learned from educator Lisa Rogers how to think outside the box. Audrey Cristelli was just 10 years old when she had the idea — what if there was a gamified sustainability app to help people who want to get more involved with litter cleanup?…

  • Meet the Woman Who is Transforming Early Breast Cancer Detection in India

    Meet the Woman Who is Transforming Early Breast Cancer Detection in India

    Through her novel thermal imaging device, Indian entrepreneur Geetha Manjunath is making breast cancer screening more accessible to more women. What compels a PhD in computer science to become a pioneer in cancer detection? In the case of Indian entrepreneur Geetha Manjunath, the answer is heartbreak, combined with a passion for helping people in need.…

  • This Former Rugby Player is Now a Game-Changing Inventor

    This Former Rugby Player is Now a Game-Changing Inventor

    Tozuda’s Head Impact Indicator is a tiny tool that attaches to a helmet and signals to its wearer when a significant impact has occurred. Personal experience drove Jessie Garcia to create her novel head impact indicator. Identify a problem, then work to solve it. That’s the basic formula for invention, and that’s exactly how Jessie…

  • This Former Rugby Player is Now a Game-Changing Inventor

    This Former Rugby Player is Now a Game-Changing Inventor

    Personal experience drove Jessie Garcia to create her novel head impact indicator. Identify a problem, then work to solve it. That’s the basic formula for invention, and that’s exactly how Jessie Garcia came to create the Tozuda Head Impact Indicator, a tiny tool that attaches to a helmet and signals to its wearer when a…

  • The Power of Invention Education: A STEM Policy Expert Shares Her Perspective

    The Power of Invention Education: A STEM Policy Expert Shares Her Perspective

    Engaging. Motivational. Confidence-building. These are just some of the words advocates use to describe the benefits of Invention Education. A powerful method of instruction, Invention Education gives teachers a hands-on format for challenging their students in a way that not only builds problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills but is also incredibly rewarding. Behind the…

  • Fighting Infant Mortality Through Hypothermia Detection

    Fighting Infant Mortality Through Hypothermia Detection

    Narain’s TempWatch bracelet, a wearable device that monitors a newborn’s temperature. Biomedical engineer Ratul Narain’s monitoring devices help detect hypothermia and other illnesses in underweight newborns. Every year, 20 million clinically underweight babies are born worldwide. Of these, eight million are born in India, where many parents don’t have easy access to neonatal care resources.…

  • It’s Not Always Easy Being Green, But It Should Be

    It’s Not Always Easy Being Green, But It Should Be

    A pioneer in the field of green chemistry, John Warner talks about the successes and challenges in creating sustainable change. John Warner is, to put it mildly, passionate about his work. He is a prolific inventor holding more than 300 patents, as well as an educator and entrepreneur. He is most passionate when talking about…

  • The Surge in Climate Action Requires a Surge in Green Talent, but How on Earth to Fill the Gap?

    The Surge in Climate Action Requires a Surge in Green Talent, but How on Earth to Fill the Gap?

    Creating a new generation of engineers skilled in sustainability is an investment in the health of people and the planet

  • 2022 Inventors’ Day Roundup: Faces of Invention

    2022 Inventors’ Day Roundup: Faces of Invention

    As we confront complex issues like climate change, sustainable energy, and equitable access to food and healthcare, one throughline is constant: progress and innovation are inextricably linked. In 1992, prolific inventor Jerry Lemelson and his wife Dolly founded The Lemelson Foundation to support  invention that improves lives and strengthens economies. Since then, the Foundation has…