Stephen Key is an award-winning inventor, renowned intellectual property strategist, lifelong entrepreneur, author, speaker, and columnist.
Stephen has over 20 patents in his name and the dozens of concepts he has brought to market have retailed in Walmart, 7-Eleven, and Disney stores and parks worldwide and been endorsed by Michael Jordan, Alex Trebek, and Taylor Swift. He has defended his patents in federal court against the largest toy company in the world, Lego’s.
In 1999, he cofounded inventRight to teach others his unique process for harnessing the power of open innovation and the licensing business model.
His bestselling book about how to license an idea, One Simple Idea by McGraw-Hill, has been translated into six languages.
He has written more than 1,000 articles about intellectual property strategy, product licensing, and entrepreneurship for publications online including Forbes, Inc., and Entrepreneur.
Universities and governmental organizations around the world regularly invite him to teach them inventRight’s unique processes for commercializing new product ideas.
Stephen has won over 20 industry awards, including two Edison Awards and the Most Influential and Inspiring Leader Of All Time by the WorldIP Forum in 2022.
In 2018, he was recognized as a AAAS-Lemelson Invention Ambassador. In 2020, he became a founding member of the United States Intellectual Property Alliance.
In 2022, Stephen contributed to “Cases in IP Strategy: Industry Lessons Learned” from the non-profit Michelson Institute for IP.
Currently, he’s part of the team responsible for launching a new sustainable packaging innovation that replaces the need to use plastic to carry beverages called Fishbone.
Post Views: 336 There are more opportunities than ever before for innovators to pitch their ideas. One relatively new avenue is Quirky, a online product submiss... Read more.
Post Views: 376 Everyone wants to know what is really needed to start a successful business. How can I be sure the timing is right? How much capital do I need? ... Read more.
Post Views: 343 There are some bad behaviors that are so commonplace and easy to fall into, we’ve come up with seemingly reasonable excuses for them. I’m a ... Read more.
Post Views: 332 How good are you at reading people? No one can predict the future, but over the years, I’ve developed the ability to smell a problem from a mi... Read more.
Post Views: 386 I have a somewhat unpopular confession to make: I hate the holidays. From what I can tell, most people look forward to enjoying their time off... Read more.
Post Views: 343 To be a successful entrepreneur in today’s world, you need to be current, mentally fit, and actively involved in running your business. Even m... Read more.
Post Views: 425 It’s a fact of life: Everyone makes mistakes. People who are at the very top of their game make mistakes. If you’re trying something new, th... Read more.
Post Views: 321 The holidays are here! Chances are you’ve been running around purchasing gifts for all of the important people in your life. But I don’t wan... Read more.
Post Views: 318 New Year’s resolutions serve an important purpose. After all, you can’t write a resolution without reflecting on the past. I think New Year... Read more.
Post Views: 350 Creating the perfect partnership takes understanding, significant effort, and above all a sincere desire to make it work. I’m proud to say ... Read more.