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: 333 It is the mid 1980s, and I am 27 years old. For the last six years, I’ve been selling my handmade soft sculptures on the street, at state fair... Read more.
Post Views: 331 A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending a new competition for inventors that was held in Kansas City. Teams participating in Make48 had... Read more.
Post Views: 330 Some entrepreneurs act as if everyone is out to get them. I strongly oppose that mentality. It’s wise to assume that everyone you do business ... Read more.
Post Views: 349 Basketball has been a lifelong love of mine. I started playing when I was in the 5th grade. Soon after, I was shooting hoops in my driveway afte... Read more.
Post Views: 380 There are many ways of coming up with new ideas. Everyone has his or her own little method. When I quit the toy startup I had been working at to... Read more.
Post Views: 568 Like products? Enjoy being creative? Companies all over the world need your ideas to compete in today’s fast-paced global marketplace. You may... Read more.
Post Views: 379 When my longtime friend Rob Stefani and I started selling guitar picks, we never once thought that a big-box retailer like Walmart would want to... Read more.
Post Views: 383 Every entrepreneur knows what pushing an idea uphill feels like: Not great. Despite your best efforts, you’re just not able to get any momentu... Read more.
Post Views: 1,362 Over the course of my career, I have forged several successful partnerships. My most successful partnership of all time is with my wife Janice... Read more.
Post Views: 337 Testing the market is one of the most challenging aspects of product development, especially for independent inventors. You think your idea is g... Read more.