Inventing Shouldn’t Have to Be So Hard

On Friday, August 21, 2020, the Skandalaris Center celebrated World Entrepreneur’s Day 2020 with a special inventor’s edition Skandalaris Startup Webinar hosted by Expert on Call Cheri Renee (MSW ’98). 

In the one-hour webinar, Cheri introduced the different types of intellectual property protections granted: utility, design, and plant. She also reviewed the key parts of different patent types and provided information about how to access available inventor and funding resources to initiate the invention process. She closed the webinar with cost-saving tips and resources to help inventors make their innovations a success.

Resources for inventors and innovators:

• The Invent-ED Network Connection: a group that provides unique inventor-specific classes and workshops to help aspiring inventors gain a clearer understanding about the invention process. 
• United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO): a full patent database with multiple features and functions to download and print
  • St. Louis Public Library Patent and Trademark Resource Center
  • USPTO St. Louis Pro Bono Patent Program
  • USPTO Pro Se Assistance Program
  • USPTO Invention-Con
• Google Patents: patents and prior art searches
• WashU Entrepreneurship & Intellectual Property Clinic
• Local Inventor’s Groups
  • ITEN
  • Inventors Association of St. Louis
  • Illinois Inventors and Innovators (i3)
• Regular Entrepreneurial Events
  • Venture Café
  • 1 Million Cups
  • Product Camp
  • Start-Up Connection
• Free Community Services
  • St. Louis Community College Inventors’ Series: So You Want to be an Inventor!
  • St. Charles Community College Business Start-Up Made Easy Series
  • St. Louis County Library Classes and Workshops
  • Grace Hill Women’s Business Center
  • Justine PETERSEN
• Federal and State Resources
  • U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
  • St. Louis Regional Chamber of Commerce
  • Economic Development Center of St. Charles County
• Available Funding Resources
  • The BALSA Foundation Grant (Apply January 1-24 and July 1 -24)
  • Arch Grants (Apply May – July)
  • SLUStart I-Corps (Rolling Application) (Referral Source Code: Cheri Renee or Invent-ED Network)