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: 374 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: 398 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.
Post Views: 319 That sounds terrible, right? I wasn’t selling anything illegal though. But for about six or so years, I hawked goods I had made on the street,... Read more.
Post Views: 304 If you want to create a successful business, you need to set an example for others to follow. Establishing and maintaining the right kind of cul... Read more.
Post Views: 331 Are you overthinking it? Don’t. I have a simple theory about why entrepreneurs fail to move forward with their projects. They spend too much t... Read more.
Post Views: 408 Like everyone else, I discovered figuring how out to support myself doing something I truly enjoyed was going to be difficult. I knew at a young... Read more.
Post Views: 294 What sets apart products that succeed from those that don’t? When I first started out, I thought the most important element of a product idea ... Read more.
Post Views: 318 When I had my first big idea, I got what I now know is the best possible advice from my patent attorney. Let me back up a little bit. The concep... Read more.
Post Views: 335 I received a thoughtful, heartfelt email from a young gentleman aged 24 a few weeks ago. In his email, he listed the books about entrepreneurshi... Read more.
Post Views: 442 Becoming an entrepreneur takes fortitude. There will be obstacles to overcome and naysayers to ignore. That entrepreneurs are stubborn is hardly... Read more.