IPO Education Foundation Awards Celebration

For questions or if you prefer an invoice for your registration, contact foundation@ipo.org.

Join Us!
December 15, 2026 | JW Marriott Washington, DC

Registration Information

  • $500 Individual Tickets 
  • Sponsorships range from $2,500 to $25,000. For additional information, please contact Kristen Lurye, klurye@ipo.org. 

IPO Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Tickets and sponsorships are considered charitable contributions and are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law. 

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

Dr. Peine is being honored for his pioneering contributions to Medtronic’s Hugo™ robotic-assisted surgery platform which is advancing precision surgery through patented innovations that enhance surgical care and expand access to life-changing medical technology. Dr. Peine is the VP of R&D for Research and Technology in Medtronic’s Surgical Operating Unit and is a sole or co-inventor on patents protecting major aspects of Hugo’s surgeon console, including its overall design, hand controllers, and software that enables movement translation from the controllers to the instruments as well as scaling and alignment. Hugo™ is a modular, scalable, and open‑architecture surgical robotics platform designed to expand access to minimally invasive surgery worldwide. In addition to his contributions to Hugo™, Dr. Peine is a named inventor on over 130 Medtronic patents and has received many honors in his time at the company, including being inducted into Medtronic’s Bakken Society, the highest technical honor at the company.

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:

Diamond Lounge Sponsors


Emerald Table Sponsors:

Emerald Table Sponsors

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Sapphire Table Sponsors:

Sapphire Table Sponsors


General Sponsors:

General Sponsors


Sponsorship Opportunities 

For more information about the 2026 event, please contact foundation@ipo.org.

Schedule of Events:

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

 

2025 Event Photos