Impact Spotlights

In June 2016, hundreds of students and teachers from all across the United States converged on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge to celebrate the power of invention. They came to Cambridge for EurekaFest, a multi-day, student-centered showcase designed to empower the next generation of inventors through activities that inspire youth, honor role models, and encourage creativity and problem solving. The annual event marks the culmination of a year’s work by the dedicated staff at the Lemelson-MIT program, and it is unlike any other confab in the world of invention education. Each year EurekaFest brings together a community of up-and-coming student inventors, aged 14 to 24, and the educators who are encourage and support these young visionaries and problem solvers.

Invention-based businesses create jobs, spark economic development, and hold unique potential for improving people’s lives. But this work is not easy. Inventors – especially young people who are just finishing their educations and starting businesses – face many obstacles. Their ultimate success rests not just on the strength of their inventions, but the soundness of their business plans and the support they’re able to garner at every turn.

Lemelson program officer Kenneth Turner explains how we have a lot yet to learn about the role incubators and accelerators play in solving urgent global problems. Fortunately, efforts are already underway.

As The Lemelson Foundation’s 20th Anniversary year draws to a close, we are compelled to pause and take stock of all that’s transpired over the past 12 months. From major milestones reached to the high hurdles ahead, we have much to ponder as a foundation seeking to improve lives through invention. We are also mindful of all that has occurred externally over the past year – developments far beyond our organizational walls that will profoundly influence and shape the work we do as grantmakers.