Featured Innovator

MJ Kievman

“I think at first it was overwhelming, just because I was so young,” says MJ Kievman. “But as I got more into it, the experience made what I do now a lot easier because I have a foundational knowledge of intellectual property.” Read about MJ’s journey from inventor to founder and CEO of a biotech company.

Fostering the next generation of creators and innovators

Why is IP important to students who are developing ideas? How can educators easily bring IP to the classroom? We spoke with students and teachers across the country… here’s what they have to say.

Marc VanZyl
“Intellectual property inspires progress,” says Marc, a high school senior from Atlanta and a serial inventor. He’s now pursuing a #patent for his latest invention. “The patent attorneys and I had to really distill down the core values that made my invention truly unique. It was quite an insight to be able to look at my project with a completely new lens. Read more about Marc’s journey with intellectual property.
Roxanne Moore
How do we get kids excited about intellectual property? Start with the “bunny slopes”, says Roxanne Moore, with GeorgiaTech.  This might be provisional patents and trademarks like branding, logos, and slogans. Read more from Roxanne on how to protect students from looking down the “steep hill” of intellectual property and lead them to more manageable routes.
Cynthia Brawner
“I’m big on having my students protect whatever they do,” says Cynthia Brawner, a teacher at Chicago Public Schools. “My advice for students: There’s no wrong way to solve a problem; we learn from failure. Go out there and tackle it!” Read more from Miss Brawner about how she brings intellectual property to her classroom.
Ifeoma and Austin
“Even though a person can’t take away your creativity, they can steal the product of your creativity and people should know that there is a way to protect that,” says Chicago-area 10th grader Austin. He and his classmate, Ifeoma, recently won national attention for their invention to address food deserts. And now they’re thinking about how to protect their idea. Read about Ifeoma and Austin’s story of innovation.
Ana Lois
Rising high school junior Ana-Lois is an idea person. In fact, she’s won multiple awards for the many inventions she’s created. And she’s actively working to protect her ideas through intellectual property. Read more from Ana-Lois about how any student can learn about and use IP.
Damian Earley
Damian, a longtime inventor, has been inventing through the Ohio Invention League and Invention Convention Worldwide since second grade. Through the years, he’s created a wide variety of inventions from prescription delivery drones, to pet care technology, to an assistive device for piano players. Read more
Marissa Stillittano and Adam Daley
Marissa Stillittano and Adam Daley are Science Resource Teachers in Torrance Unified School District, promoting invention education. They organized a successful virtual invention fair during the pandemic, inspiring 70 student inventors and fostering creativity. Read more
Sanvi Keskar
A serial inventor, Sanvi has created a number of inventions, many of which solve problems in incredibly different fields. Through her recent invention, the Cafawaste X 2000, an eco-friendly smart waste bin, Sanvi has also begun learning about intellectual property (IP). Just like there’s no specific way to invent, Sanvi has also realized there’s no one-size-fits-all journey to pursuing IP ownership.Read more
The opinions offered are the perspectives of the speakers based on their personal experiences and are not legal advice.”