Latest

Errika Moore moderting at the Inspiredu Townhall Series.

Transforming the Philanthropic Landscape for STEM

This former engineer is helping funders focus on making STEM accessible to all students

11 min read

Pollinate Impact members having a conversation at a table.

From Survival to Sustainability for Impact Incubators

New research from Pollinate Impact focuses on how to ensure long-term success for incubators and accelerators in the Global South.

6 min read

The Powerful History of Early Black Invention

An inventor shares what Black invention means to her.

6 min read

Khatuchi Khasandi (center) speaking to a group at the 2025 Transforming African MedTech Conference in Nairobi, Kenya.

Building an Innovation Ecosystem for Entrepreneurs in Africa

A leader in African entrepreneurship shares how funders can support innovation-based enterprises in Kenya.

8 min read

Entrepreneurship Funders Network Executive Director Ifeoma Aduba, center, with peers at the 2024 EFN Convening.

The Role of Philanthropy in Supporting Impact Entrepreneurs

A network of philanthropic funders is helping innovators navigate challenging times.

10 min read

Protecting the Planet, One Engineering Class at a Time

How a wildlife biologist’s unconventional career path led to a sustainability movement in engineering education.

11 min read

Anuki Mudalige at the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals.

Using Invention to Increase Mindfulness

An ancient mindfulness technique inspired this high schooler to invent a modern stress-reducing technology.

8 min read

A woman talks into a microphone on a stage.

This Engineer is Creating a Path for Accessible Solar Energy

Monique Dyers is a leader in renewable energy — and a role model for other engineers interested in entrepreneurship with purpose.

8 min read

A group of happy Calistoga InvenTeam students and their teacher Heather Brooks stand together, all wearing shirts with the Lemelson-MIT logo. They are posing in front of a Lemelson-MIT branded banner at EurekaFest at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Recognizing the Power of Invention Education for Re-Engaging Students

Discover how this educator’s introduction to invention education resulted in her students’ presenting at MIT, speaking on a U.S. Department of Education panel, and becoming SXSW finalists.

6 min read

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  • Going Beyond the Horizon

    Going Beyond the Horizon

    Jim West has been at the forefront of acoustic science for nearly six decades. From his childhood in the segregated South to his recent work on an advanced digital stethoscope, West has always looked for “what exists beyond the horizon.” This article was originally published on USPTO.gov on November 2019. Each month, their Journeys of Innovation…

  • Inventing for Impact

    Inventing for Impact

    Why a Diverse Invention Ecosystem Is Crucial for Solving the World’s Biggest Problems Today is Edison’s birthday, which President Reagan designated “National Inventors’ Day.” Indeed, inventors have been recognized as essential to our country’s success since the days of our Founders, when George Washington urged the first Congress to set up the patent system. In…

  • Growing Global Invention Ecosystems to Solve Our Sustainable Development Challenges

    Growing Global Invention Ecosystems to Solve Our Sustainable Development Challenges

    Why Entrepreneur Ecosystems Are Not “One Size Fits All” For Global Entrepreneurship Week, millions of people across 170 countries participated in thousands of online events and in-person gatherings to discuss the state-of-the-state of global entrepreneurship, as well as what’s needed to grow entrepreneurial opportunity in the years ahead. One of the key themes for this…

  • A Teen Inventor’s Experience With Hurricane Sandy Spurs Innovation

    A Teen Inventor’s Experience With Hurricane Sandy Spurs Innovation

    That event spurred her to think about other communities vulnerable to natural disasters. Helen Lyons was inspired to invent by a problem she encountered close to home. When she was in fourth grade living in New York City, her neighborhood was devastated by Hurricane Sandy. “The streets turned into rivers, and I remember watching the…

  • Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    A Teacher Motivates Her Student to become a Science Educator When teachers present their students with real-world challenges to solve, they show them that they have the power to improve lives in their community and beyond. For National Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating teachers who are inspiring their students through invention education. Clara Mabour was…

  • Inventions That Matter

    Inventions That Matter

    Or “The Case Against Nonsense” For more than 20 years The Lemelson Foundation has been committed to the power of invention to improve lives. While inventions come in many forms, the Foundation’s work is focused on those that help solve the world’s most complex and systemic problems with true and lasting impact. We call this 

  • Immigrant Entrepreneurs Shape America’s Inventive and Economic Future

    Immigrant Entrepreneurs Shape America’s Inventive and Economic Future

    On August 21 The Lemelson Foundation joined thousands of organizations in recognizing World Entrepreneurs’ Day, an event designed to raise awareness of the importance of entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership in our lives. And from November 13–19, we will join 20,000 groups across 170 nations celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week. But this year’s celebrationsMore

  • Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    Inspiring Students to Invent Can Transform Lives

    A Teacher Motivates Her Student to become a Science Educator When teachers present their students with real-world challenges to solve, they show them that they have the power to improve lives in their community and beyond. For National Teacher Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating teachers who are inspiring their students through invention education. Clara Mabour was…

  • Resource Constraints Demand Smarter Approaches to Invention

    Resource Constraints Demand Smarter Approaches to Invention

    The best inventions will be those that deliver the most value while consuming the fewest resources. April 22 saw hundreds of thousands assemble in Washington, DC and dozens of other cities nationwide to celebrate Earth Day with a first-ever March for Science. One week later, Americans again took to the streets to mark President Trump’s 100thMore