National Academy for Inventors conference grows in reach and impact
Inclusive innovation is a force that is crucial for building a better world.
The 13th annual National Academy for Inventors (NAI) conference served as a reminder that inclusive innovation should be a shared goal for everyone. As Vaishali Udupa, USPTO commissioner for patents, said: “The USPTO is not just about the things we do to get your patent, but getting the people into that innovation ecosystem to spark that innovation, because it’s so important for our global economy, national security, so many different things.”
The NAI event, held June 16-18 in Raleigh, North Carolina, showcased a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with over 4,000 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide.
This year’s theme, “Unlocking Innovation: Keys to Societal Solutions,” addressed the subject of inclusive innovation through speakers and panelists from across the innovation ecosystem.
STEM challenges for women
USPTO Commissioner Udupa was part of a Next Generation panel that discussed how to engage younger intellectual property enthusiasts, inventors, innovators, scientists, and engineers. She provided examples of ongoing partnerships that aim to reach the next generation, including the Smithsonian “Change Your Game” exhibit; the NAI GAIN mentorship program that connects seasoned academic inventors with collegiate innovators; and the National Inventors Hall of Fame’s Camp Invention—which had 400,000 participants last year.
A key to that future is enlightened and progressive STEM education, and the need to have women more actively involved. During a USPTO Women’s Entrepreneurship (WE) event, panelists discussed obstacles they faced—ranging from implicit bias to going to school in a war zone. They discussed action initiatives that included management strategies, mentoring, and creating safe space for honest and cathartic conversations.
Jamie Renee, executive director of the NAI, hosted the academy’s first livestreamed panel at the WE event: “From vision to value: Women impacting STEM through intellectual property.” One of her panelists was Carol Feghali-Bostwick, professor in the Department of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Attending the American University of Beirut in Lebanon during the war in Iraq, Dr. Feghali-Bostwick “ended up having to change paths because it was not safe to cross over to the side where the medical school was.” After getting her doctorate from Tulane University with an emphasis in microbiology and immunology, she noticed “this implicit bias … the influence that others have in making you feel as if you don’t have the capabilities or the abilities to see this through as an invention.”
She launched programs to provide entrepreneurship training for other women who may be struggling with the same issues.” She also promotes STEM in schools.
Panelist Almesha Campbell, assistant vice president for research and economic development at Jackson State University, added: “Often times, we don’t do implicit bias training. I think every department, every college, should have those trainings that are mandatory on their campus” to identify and correct those biases.
To see the entire WE discussion: bit.ly/3Ve2DQk