This Annual Awards Celebration honors accomplishments in the fields of IP, innovation, and creativity. More than 300 IP practitioners, IP professionals, government officials, and attendees from all over the world take part in this fundraising event to support the work of IPOEF to further efforts of raising awareness of and appreciation for IP as a driver of innovation.
Inventor of the Year
William (Bill) J. Peine, Ph.D., VP of Research and Technology, Medtronic Surgical Operating Unit

IP Champion
Ruthie Lyle, Ph.D., Principal Patent Architect, NVIDIA
Dr. Ruthie Lyle is being honored for her extraordinary leadership advocating for the value of intellectual property. Dr. Lyle has displayed pioneering leadership in expanding access to inventorship, building inclusive innovation pipelines, and creating opportunities for underrepresented talent in STEM and intellectual property. Dr. Lyle established the Technical Patent Architect Practice at NVIDIA, connecting legal, research, and engineering teams to accelerate inventorship, patent training, and invention generation. She currently leads NVIDIA’s Pathways to AI and Diversity in Inventorship programs, expanding AI learning opportunities and representation for underrepresented communities in technology. As a registered Patent Agent and inventor on more than 220 patents, she began her career at IBM, where she became one of the few women named IBM Master Inventor, and later helped create USAA’s Strategic Emerging Technology Research Program. The first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from NYU Tandon, Dr. Lyle frequently speaks about expanding access to inventorship and creating opportunities for underrepresented talent in STEM and intellectual property.Inspiration Award
NASA
NASA is being honored for being a powerful example of how IP drives innovation and inspires the next generation of inventors globally to imagine what’s possible. NASA has demonstrated transformative leadership in advancing innovation, leveraging IP to push the boundaries of exploration and technological possibility. Through programs like Artemis, NASA brings together groundbreaking inventions, protected, shared, and built upon to enable the return to the Moon and future missions further out in our solar system. From propulsion systems to advanced materials and communication technologies, these innovations demonstrate how IP serves as a foundation for collaboration, commercialization, and discovery working with universities and private industry. Daniel Lockney, Technology Transfer Program Executive, will accept the Inspiration Award on behalf of NASA.For information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kristen Lurye.
Diamond Lounge Sponsor:
Emerald Table Sponsors:
Sapphire Table Sponsors:
General Sponsors:
Sponsorship Opportunities
For more information about the 2026 event, please contact foundation@ipo.org.
Accommodations
JW Marriott Hotel
1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Online Reservation
Reservation Phone: 800-393-2503
IPOEF has reserved a block of rooms at JW Marriott hotel, where the event is taking place. You can make a reservation online to receive the IPOEF group rate of $254/night + a daily $35 Destination Fee + taxes for a single/double room. Hotel will offer the group discounted rate 3 days prior/post event dates, if available. Reservations must be made by Friday, November 20, 2026, or until the room block is sold out, whichever comes first. After November 20, rooms will be subject to availability at the standard hotel rate, if available.
For Questions
Contact Foundation Deputy Executive Director
Kristen Lurye, klurye@ipo.org or 202-507-4500



