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: 397 Every person who has had the courage to start a business has done so with imperfect information. There are always unknowns. We all wonder, “Is... Read more.
Post Views: 399 Who among us hasn’t dreamed of going viral? Talk about the ultimate gratification. We work so hard and for so long without knowing whether our... Read more.
Post Views: 333 There are some things in life that people only seem to learn how to do the hard way. I think negotiating contracts is one of them. It’s an emo... Read more.
Post Views: 512 Every entrepreneur who has ever lived has thought about how to get his or her product in front of the right people. We know consumers will want ... Read more.
Post Views: 351 I read an article in the Huffington Post recently that inspired me to tell it like it is. The article broke down some of the myths that continue... Read more.
Post Views: 307 What does it really take to be successful? I think I have an answer. That’s a bold claim, I know. But I can back it up. Hear me out. I’ve be... Read more.
Post Views: 312 People often message me to ask, “Have you heard of such and such company? What do you think of it?” This line of inquiry confuses me. For on... Read more.
Post Views: 354 When I explain that for many years I made a living out of licensing my product ideas to powerful companies for passive income, people are often ... Read more.
Post Views: 359 One of the first things I recommend to anyone who wants to be successful is to find a mentor. Seeking out the opinion and advice of someone who ... Read more.
Post Views: 386 When my wife and I began dating, I remember the picture I painted for her. We were standing on a rooftop in San Francisco when I whispered to he... Read more.