Often, the easiest part of the innovation process is coming up with the new idea or the better way.
The real difficulty is developing that innovation into an actual thing, beginning with the very first step: What to do after the initial inspiration or discovery.
A new weekly event will start later this month for any university employee or student who might have an inventive new idea or discovery but doesn’t know what to do next.
Inventors Grove will meet every Tuesday morning, beginning Aug. 26, and function a lot like a support group, offering guidance, fellowship and inspiration. Successful inventors will be on hand to help newcomers navigate the innovation process.
The new program was developed by Tyler Scherr, PhD, licensing specialist and business development manager at UNeMed, and Bethany Lowndes, PhD, scientific director of Nebraska Medicine’s Innovation Design Unit and an associate professor in the UNMC Department of Neurological Sciences.
“We understand how confusing, intimidating and overwhelming it can be for a first-time inventor,” Dr. Scherr said. “We wanted to create a more informal, supportive environment where there are no dumb questions and where every idea is worth saying out loud.”
Inventors Grove will meet every Tuesday from 7-8:30 a.m. in UNMC’s Innovation Design Unit Bridge, located on the sixth floor of University Tower.
“We’re not too concerned if there’s five or 50 people that join us at these meetings,” Dr. Scherr said. “Great ideas come from all corners, and we don’t want to leave any of them out.”
Inventors Grove will offer complimentary coffee and is sponsored by the Nebraska Research Initiative, in collaboration with UNeMed, UNeTech, UNMC Design Thinking and the Nebraska Medicine Innovation Design Unit.