At Houston Community College (HCC), innovation doesn’t live solely in lecture halls. It lives in small businesses, community hackathons, and the ideas of first-time founders navigating entrepreneurship.
HCC’s Entrepreneurial Initiatives Program has supported more than 13,000 small businesses over the past 15 years. Yet program leaders recognized a missing piece: many participants were developing new products or services without understanding how to protect them. That realization led them to the Inventor’s Patent Academy.
TIPA was introduced as part of HCC’s non-credit entrepreneurial programming, serving freshmen, sophomores, and local small business owners alike. To strengthen the experience, HCC brought in a local patent attorney to guide participants through the nuances of patents, trademarks, and copyrights, using TIPA as the educational foundation.
The response was immediate and enthusiastic. To date, approximately 200 small businesses have completed TIPA through HCC programs. Many participants are now actively pursuing patents, equipped with the knowledge and confidence to move forward intentionally.
TIPA has also become part of HCC’s innovation culture. Students participating in “Hackathons” and “Inventathons” graduate from the Inventor’s Patent Academy, reinforcing the idea that invention is not just about creativity; it’s about protection, ownership, and long-term impact.
In May 2025, HCC took its commitment even further by hosting its first Intellectual Property Conference in collaboration with Qualcomm. The event brought together inventors and professionals to discuss patent challenges, common pitfalls, and real-world strategies. The turnout and engagement confirmed what HCC had already discovered: there are far more inventors in the community than expected, and they are hungry for guidance.
HCC’s story shows how TIPA thrives outside traditional academic credit structures—supporting lifelong learners, founders, and community-based innovation.
This post is part of the Inventor’s Patent Academy Partner Series, highlighting how universities and organizations are expanding access to patent education.
