Inventors
Two 3rd-Grade Inventors Win Coaching From inventRight at Invention Convention U.S. Nationals
Congratulations to the 437 young inventors who competed at Invention Convention U.S. Nationals at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation June 5-7th!
inventRight is a proud sponsor of Invention Convention. For the second year in a row, we are offering the "Licensing Coaching Award." This means young inventors will receive help commercializing their inventions through coaching from inventRight!
This year, two 3rd-grade inventors will receive coaching from inventRight Coach Courtney Laschkewitsch to learn and experience the steps of the licensing business model.
Congratulations Charley and Zoe on Winning Coaching From inventRight!
Charley’s invention is the “Curly Girly Helmet.”
Coach Courtney said:
“Charley's professionalism in her video is incredible! Her product is solving a great problem, and the prototype is fantastic! We can see a lot of work has gone into her product, including trial and error testing, and we think it makes a lot of sense in the market! It’s cool to see that she thought of the function first, but also didn’t forget the design of it and how it looks! When her product is worn, it looks iconic! We can’t wait to teach her the steps to licensing!”
Zoe’s invention is named “Pitch Protect.”
“Zoe’s passion for her product, along with her experience in this area really shines through in her pitch video. The product she created solves a real problem, and the design she ended up going with shows that she really thought through what would really matter to the users of the product. We also love how she thought of not just the sports industry, but also the promotional industry for logo placement! We can’t wait to teach her the steps to licensing!”
Why are we supporting young inventors with coaching from inventRight? What I learned when I spoke about licensing at Invention Convention in 2023 is that ALL inventors want to bring their inventions to life. This includes young inventors!
We believe the best way to learn how to commercialize an invention is by doing it! This is what’s known as “experiential learning” and it is the foundation of coaching from inventRight.
Inventing is a starting place. To continue making progress on their mission to help others, young inventors need strategies for taking their inventions further — and this is why licensing education is so needed.
inventRight is proud to do its part by offering a free program for K-12 students called “Product Licensing for Young Entrepreneurs.”
This program teaches the steps needed to turn an invention into a product selling on the market through the licensing business model. Licensing is an alternative to starting a business. Because it less risky than starting a business, it is an excellent option for youth inventors.
This program is an opportunity for young inventors to engage with entrepreneurship. Students who have participated in inventRight’s youth program have licensed their ideas, founded startups, interned in their university’s tech transfer office, filed patent applications, and obtained patents — all before turning 21!
However, the biggest benefit is gaining the perspective, skills, and confidence you need to take action on any idea.
About RTX Invention Convention at The Henry Ford
If you have the chance to attend or get involved with Invention Convention U.S. Nationals at The Henry Ford Museum, we highly encourage it. The experience of being surrounded by talented, passionate young inventors is like none other! It is also possible to get involved with Invention Convention at the state level.
Never visited The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan? An epic celebration of creativity and persistence spread across 250 acres, it is the perfect location for this event.
I was completely blown away by what I saw, which included a recreation of Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park lab, the original Wright brothers bicycle shop, and a working farm using 19th century technology. If you appreciate American history and/or innovation, it’s a must-visit.
I dare you to leave without feeling appreciative of inventors and the myriad of obstacles they overcame to share their unique vision with us!
This competition is made possible due to the collaboration of so many people who believe in the importance of invention education. We are thrilled to be involved.
Congratulations and many thanks to all of the families, judges and volunteers, affiliates, fellow sponsors, supporters, and The Henry Ford staff.
About the contributor
Madeleine KeyMadeleine Key has been writing about intellectual property, invention commercialization and the innovation ecosystem since 2008. Currently, she is a contributor to Forbes and IPWatchdog. She has extensive experience creating actionable resources about the licensing process, including directing inventRight’s K-12 invention education efforts. Using social media, she’s helped transform inventRight into a beloved leader in the for-profit invention help industry. As the Marketing Director for Inventors Groups of America, she plans and hosts popular free monthly educational meetings for inventors. In 2021, she joined the Advisory Board and the Communications Committee of The Center for Intellectual Property Understanding. In 2022, she spoke at the Intellectual Property Awareness Summit held at the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the launch of WE: Women Entrepreneurs. As a freelance journalist based in Oakland, her reporting appeared in the East Bay Express, San Francisco Chronicle and CALIFORNIA magazine. She currently lives on the road with her husband in the Sprinter van they built out.
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