Innovation doesn’t stop at the classroom door, but for many students and early-stage entrepreneurs, the path from idea to protected invention can feel unclear, intimidating, or out of reach. That’s exactly the gap the Inventor’s Patent Academy (TIPA) was designed to close.

Created to demystify the patent process and expand access to intellectual property education, TIPA has become a powerful resource for universities, community colleges, and entrepreneurial organizations across the country. What’s made the biggest difference, however, isn’t just the curriculum; it’s how educators and partners have implemented it in meaningful, real-world ways.

This blog series explores how educational institutions and organizations are successfully using TIPA to empower students, founders, and inventors. Each post will spotlight a different partner, highlighting how TIPA integrates into their programs, what outcomes they’re seeing, and why intellectual property education is becoming a core part of innovation training.

To start, let’s look at one example that captures the spirit of this work.

Georgia Tech: Turning Student Prototypes Into Protected Innovation

At Georgia Tech, the journey with TIPA began not with a formal curriculum review but with a simple conversation.

Students in Professor Yolanda Payne’s Startup Lab course were building real-world prototypes to solve meaningful problems, but after showcasing their work publicly, many didn’t know what to do next. Were their ideas protectable? Had they already shared too much? What options existed beyond the classroom?

As a frequent collaborator with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and an advocate for invention education, Payne recognized a disconnect. Students at one of the nation’s top institutions were producing patent-worthy ideas yet receiving mixed signals about intellectual property and ownership. Following a Lemelson Foundation Invent Ed event, Payne knew she had found a solution.

Enter the Inventor’s Patent Academy.

TIPA offered a ready-made, accessible solution that aligned perfectly with Payne’s goals: helping students develop an inventor’s mindset while gaining practical entrepreneurial skills. During the first semester of implementation, all 30 students in Startup Lab enrolled in TIPA’s self-paced modules. One student, whose questions originally sparked the shift, went on to complete a provisional patent application before graduating the following semester.

That early success led to expansion. By the next term, TIPA was integrated across multiple sections of Startup Lab, reaching roughly 60 students. From there, the impact deepened even further. Georgia Tech launched a vertically integrated project course, IP Advocacy and Outreach, using TIPA as the foundational framework for intellectual property, prototyping, and patenting work. Students now have the option to engage more deeply with IP education over multiple semesters, building both confidence and competence.

What makes Georgia Tech’s story stand out isn’t just scale; it’s sustainability. TIPA isn’t a one-off assignment; it’s embedded into the learning journey, helping students connect innovation, ownership, and impact in a tangible way.

What’s Next in the Series

Georgia Tech is just one example of how educators are using TIPA to bridge the gap between ideas and action.

In upcoming posts, we’ll explore:

• How San Diego State University integrates TIPA into a core entrepreneurship course to strengthen IP literacy
• How Houston Community College supports hundreds of small business owners and student inventors through hands-on IP education
• How Oakwood University introduced the Center on Rural Innovation to TIPA, bringing patent education to founders in underserved and rural communities

Each story highlights a different pathway—but they all point to the same conclusion: when educators lead, innovation follows.

Stay tuned as we continue the series and share how TIPA partners are shaping the future of invention, one cohort at a time.

This post is part of the Inventor’s Patent Academy Partner Series, highlighting how universities and organizations are expanding access to patent education.