IPOEF President Henry Hadad Encourages Support to Advance IP Education

At this year’s IPO Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, IPO Education Foundation President Henry Hadad (Bristol Myers Squibb Co.) delivered a powerful message about the impact of IPOEF’s work and the importance of member support in fueling it.

IPOEF is on a mission to make intellectual property education more accessible, practical, and inspiring. Through new resources like IP Made Easy, a free interactive learning platform for teachers, entrepreneurs, and students, and IP Buddy, an AI-powered mentor that makes IP approachable for young creators, the Foundation is reaching the next generation of innovators. IP professionals can also use the “IP Education for Next Gen Innovators” toolkit to introduce essential IP concepts to students in their local communities. This year, IPOEF aims to connect with over 4,500 students, educators, and community partners through these tools and programs. IPOEF needs your help to reach young innovators. Not sure where to start? Members of the Educate Committee are available to share tips and tricks for getting into classrooms and effectively engaging middle and high school students. Contact foundation@ipo.org for assistance or additional information!

Beyond the classroom, IPOEF is working to shift the narrative around IP from negative to positive, to show that IP is beneficial and can be found everywhere. Through connecting with well known brands and highlighting events, IPOEF is demonstrating first hand that your favorite things are possible because of IP. From highlighting cutting-edge innovators like the 2025 Inventors of the Year, Erin and Lee Hanson (Guardian Sports) who are changing the landscape of sports safety to IP leaders like Senators Chris Coons and Thom Tillis who will receive the 2025 IP Champion award for their bipartisan leadership in protecting and advancing IP. IPOEF’s IP is Everywhere campaign tells the story of how IP drives innovation.

Thank You 100 for IP Education Donors

Thank you to the generous donors of the 100 for IP Education fundraising campaign held during the Annual Meeting. Mr. Hadad encouraged 100 Annual Meeting attendees to join him and contribute $100 to support the Foundation’s efforts in this campaign.

The Foundation surpassed its financial goal and raised over $10,000 because of the generosity of 74 attendees. Foundation programs that further IP education would not exist without YOUR support. We thank each and every attendee who donated and are excited to continue expanding programs that demonstrate the value of IP. Because of our donors, we’re able to bring IP directly into classrooms, reach young creators, and change the public narrative about IP.

Visit IPOEF.org to learn more about these impactful programs.

New Free Tool Empowers Educators to Bring IP Into the Classroom

California Invention Convention Executive Director, Brenda Payne, was looking to deepen her understanding of IP when she “discovered IP Made Easy – a free and surprisingly fun program from the IPOEF. It turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. The tutorial is engaging, easy to follow, and packed with the essentials of IP law, while also weaving in fascinating anecdotes that really bring the subject to life.” IPO Education Foundation launched this free, interactive tutorial in August. Designed to make understanding intellectual property simple, engaging, and accessible to all through real-life stories, easy-to-follow explanations, and relatable examples, the goal is to break down barriers to information so more people of all ages can protect and grow their ideas. IP Made Easy is for teachers looking to bring real-world innovation examples into the classroom, entrepreneurs preparing to protect their next big idea, students curious about how inventions are safeguarded, or simply someone who wants to know how IP shapes our everyday lives.

Explore IP Made Easy today and make sure to share this resource with your networks, classrooms, and communities. If you know of an organization who would benefit from this tool, contact foundation@ipo.org and let us know. We need your help to get this resource to educators on a widespread scale.

Hear from Christine Lawlor-King, Invention and IP Educator, and former teacher, below. She shared how this tutorial made an impact on her ability to teach IP to the next generation and how it changed her perspective on the presence of IP in our daily lives.

“As a teacher, I used to be afraid of teaching intellectual property (IP). I did not understand it myself, so I did not teach it —even though I was teaching invention and entrepreneurship, two subjects that truly need IP at their core. Once I started learning more, I discovered that IP is fun, engaging, and deeply relevant. I realized I was interacting with IP every day—and that my students would love it too. And I was right!

IP is real-world knowledge, which makes students lean in. It brings out every student’s gifts, because no matter who you are—an inventor, artist, poet, or athlete—you need to understand IP. The best part is, when I teach IP, I never hear the question, ‘Why do we have to learn this?’ Students see the value instantly.”

Celebrate Innovation, Creativity, and IP at the 2025 Awards Celebration

IPO Education Foundation’s annual Awards Celebration gathers members of the IP community from around the world to honor individuals for their accomplishments in innovation, creativity, and IP. The event will take place from 6-10pm on December 16 at JW Marriott in Washington, DC. Purchase a ticket or become a sponsor to celebrate innovation and promote the IP system! This annual event is more than a celebration of IP – it’s an opportunity to connect with influential leaders, innovators, and advocates across the IP community. By attending the event, you are also making it possible for IPOEF to continue to educate the next generation of innovators about the value of IP.

Last year, the Foundation held its first ever in-person fundraising campaign during the Awards Celebration and the support was incredible. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we didn’t just meet our goal, we surpassed it by almost $10,000! This year, we’re aiming even higher. With Board members Henry Hadad and Erika Arner emceeing the ceremony and sharing the remarkable accomplishments of 2025, we know the evening will inspire us all to come together once again. We hope you’ll join us in making this year’s celebration another record-breaking success!

The 2025 Honorees Include:

Inventors of the Year

Erin and Lee Hanson, Founders of Guardian Sports will receive the Inventor of the Year award in December. Jessica Landacre, IPO Executive Director commented that “their journey exemplifies the power of intellectual property to drive progress and inspire change. IPO Education Foundation celebrates their commitment to sports safety and improving our way of life.” In 2010, Lee and Erin established Guardian after creating the Guardian Cap, a revolutionary soft-shell helmet cover that has since become mandatory in NFL practices and used by the NCAA. This innovation marked the beginning of Guardian’s impactful journey, expanding their product line to include PEARL lacrosse balls, the LOOP headband, Guardian Chinstrap, and Guardian Infill. “This award underscores the importance of protecting your ideas,” said the Hansons. “Without intellectual property, our partnership with leagues like the NCAA and NFL wouldn’t have been possible. IP gave us the foundation to grow and the confidence to collaborate at the highest level. We’re honored by this recognition from the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation and excited for what’s ahead for Guardian.”

IP Champions

IPO Education Foundation’s IP Champion award recognizes extraordinary leadership in advocating for the value of intellectual property to stimulate the progress of innovation. The 2025 honorees are Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who have been strong bipartisan advocates for the value of intellectual property rights, working together to modernize and strengthen the U.S. IP system in support of American innovation. They co-sponsored the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA), which they intend to provide more clarity and consistency in determining patent subject matter eligibility. They also co-sponsored the PREVAIL Act to reform the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB), seeking to ensure the rules that govern patent review proceedings at the USPTO are fair and aligned with the standards for district court litigation. As leaders in the IP policy space, Senators Tillis and Coons have championed initiatives that seek to protect creators, encourage investment, and secure the United States’ global leadership in innovation.

Your Support Drives IP Awareness

Thanks to the support of our donors, IPO Education Foundation is advancing its mission to raise awareness of intellectual property, make IP education more accessible, and shift the public narrative from one of misunderstanding to one that celebrates innovation. Donations fuel programs and stories that demonstrate the real world impact of IP and inspire the next generation of creators and entrepreneurs. One exciting example of this impact is featured on the September cover of Inventors Digest magazine where the 2025 Inventors of the Year, Erin and Lee Hanson (Guardian Sports) tell their story highlighting the value of IP to their success.

Your support makes it possible for IPOEF to share stories like this one – stories that highlight how IP drives progress, inspires innovation, and impacts everyday life.

Because of your support, we are showing the world why intellectual property protection matters. Join us in continuing our efforts around IP awareness by donating today.

Thank You Silver Donors