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"Top of Mind" with Thom Ruhe, Episode 43, 1/10/2014
>> Innovation and entrepreneurship really fit hand in glove. When you look at the whole
history of the United States for example the connections between the two are unmistakable.
It's really what gives birth to economic opportunity that changes the world. So today on "Top of
Mind" we are sitting down with Invent Now, the parent organization of Camp Invention,
The Collegiate Inventor's Competition and The National Inventor's Hall of Fame Induction
Ceremony. I'm Thom Ruhe. And this is "Top of Mind."
>>
I'm here today with Michael Oister, CEO of Invent Now and Jayme Cellitioci, who's an
education specialist with the organization. Guys, thanks for joining us on "Top of Mind"
today. >> Thanks for having us, Thom.
>> Mike, maybe we should start with you. And if you could for the viewers of "Top of Mind"
just share very briefly what's the mission of Invent Now and the programmatic priorities
that you have? >> Our mission is an outgrowth of the National
Inventor's Hall of Fame, so it's to foster invention. But what really kind of makes us
unique is that with National Inventor's Hall of Fame really feeding our DNA or being our
DNA that we're really more about kindergarten to acknowledgment, meaning we're very strong
in enrichment, national enrichment programs of which our mission is to grow future innovators,
inventors, hopefully entrepreneurs and certainly we go through a very strong Collegiate Inventor's
Competition and programs, independent inventors programs all they way up to honoring the world's
greatest inventors, the purveyors of our quality of life and the National Inventor's Hall of
Fame. >> In some cases people that literally have
changed the lives of everybody on the planet. >> I like to think in every case. Certainly
I know I feel like a mental midget in each of those meetings.
>> You and me both. I've been to several of the induction ceremonies. It's humbling but
it also restores your faith in humanity and the inventive spirit of the nation for sure.
And that's kind of like at the pinnacle of their career acknowledging their full body
of work but we're starting at an earlier stage, right?
>> Absolutely. >> Jayme, you're down there where the cement
is still wet and we're molding the minds, right?
>> Yes, absolutely. I had quite a moment taking a digital image with Steve Sasson the inventor
of the digital camera. So we're able to take stories like his and bring them right into
the Camp Invention program. He talks a lot about his "do nothing machine" that he was
so proud of that sat in his parents' closet, but gave him some of that early confidence
around prototyping. And so we're able to really bring these stories and more importantly the
inspiration and the mindset to children in Camp Invention.
>> Well, you know, again, for the benefit of the viewers, let's talk a little bit about
Camp Invention. >> Yes.
>> Can you just kind of explain what the program is and how it works?
>> Yes. Camp Invention is an out‑of‑school time enrichment program that we use creativity,
innovation entrepreneurship, 21st‑century skills, all through the lens of invention.
And we have a special focus on STEM as well as that's a vehicle for many of our inventors
that have been inducted. >> And that's a week‑long summer camp?
>> It's a week‑long summer camp program. And so sites around the country will take
the program on and the instructors, many times the teachers right from that school or from
that district will facilitate the program. And we serve around 90,000 children across
the country‑‑ >> Wow.
>> ‑‑ every summer. And over, close to 10,000 teachers and leadership interns who
are counselors that go through special mentoring. >> Now Michael, at the organizational level,
how do you plan the growth of such a program? Like, you know, how do you decide if you're
going to be in Kansas City, Missouri versus Cleveland, Ohio versus, you know, I don't
know, Saskatchewan? You know, how do you figure that out? What's the prioritization and what
does that look like? >> The only way to scale a program is with
concern about quality of implementation. I mean, it's our mission to make sure a program
in Florida is delivered with the same experience for the student as it is in Seattle, Washington
or Maine. So in order to do that the only way we can scale is locally and regionally.
And we have some great regional executives and sales managers and marketing managers
who make‑‑ create relationships with the districts. We like to think that we do business
with the 2,000 most forward‑thinking school districts in the United States, who are very
concerned about enriching science education, and enriching obviously creative implementation,
getting their students ready for the workforce of the 21st century. And so kind of manage
our business to the highest common denominator, whether it's urban, suburban, really doesn't
matter. The issue is the district forward thinking and want to prepare their students
and their teachers for this kind of education. >> Is it a push strategy or pull strategy?
>> It's both. >> Like do districts nominate and seek you
out and say hey, we want Camp Invention here or do you have a criteria you go forward looking?
>> It's absolutely both. We do have a criteria in terms of quality and quality implementation.
Most of the people that do implement our programs are elementary school teachers. Many are preparing
to be administrators. Many are interested in science, but not necessarily. Many, frankly,
are interested in business and being our local entrepreneurs who put the program on. And
we provide them everything they need to run a successful business for a week for 60 to
80 to sometimes in some cases up to 150 students in one program.
>> Wow. >> Having Mike as a leader it's kind of like
the Henry Ford model of being an engineer before CEO. And so we benefit from the fact
that Mike was an established entrepreneur before heading into this position. And so
the insights that he brings through the invention lens is really exciting.
>> Yeah. We like to say that's called eating your own dog food around here. And that's
always helpful. How do you go about developing the curriculum for Camp Invention? You know,
when you're talking about education, especially in that kind of K‑6 or K‑8 space, a lot
of people have a lot of opinions. >> Uh‑huh. Uh‑huh.
>> It's not just simply, oh, let's give them a loose blueprint of, you know, how to take
apart‑‑ >> Yes.
>> ‑‑ a radio. What went into that? >> Yes.
>> How do you do that? >> One of the things that really attracted
me to the company was their investment in the Vanguard process. And so we spend all
summer long piloting our programs in various socioeconomic areas before they are released
nationally the following year. So we go into classrooms and we're looking at everything
from are these the right materials to did the teachers feel confident enough to facilitate
this, to is this engaging and reaching the objectives that we have for the children.
So we, we dig deep and we do a lot of rapid prototyping, design thinking. And we really
integrate a lot of the cutting edge practices around 21st‑century development.
>> So if I heard you correctly, what I'm hearing is the curriculum is evolving constantly?
>> Absolutely, absolutely. >> So like every year‑‑ so if I had sent
my children back in the day to a Camp Invention one summer, next summer that experience is
likely to be different. What about the part in the middle? Like where do those bright‑‑
>> Yeah. >> ‑‑ you know, minds and STEM that we
get all activated and lit up and then they go on into college. What are we doing there
in that middle piece? >> Well, we like to think of it akin to March
Madness. November Madness for us is the Collegiate Inventor's Competition. The entire year leads
up to these incredible submissions which these college students from across the country get
to present in front of inductees of the National Inventor's Hall of Fame. So we have a really
exciting event for our sponsors and for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
held on their campus. And by the way, an incredible government agency invested in innovation.
And they prove that all the time with their investment and their interest in Camp Invention
and all the way up to Collegiate Inventor's Competition and the induction process. So
we also take the opportunity to also kind of, kind of get an insight to the secret sauce
of these kids. >> Well, I can believe that. And I'm sure
the college students get a lot out of it. Because I know as a mentor in entrepreneurship
and many mentors I talk to, they will say they get as much if not more out of the experience
of being a mentor‑‑ >> Yes.
>> ‑‑ than the mentees. >> Yes.
>> So in this case I'm sure these college students are getting a lot out of helping
Camp Invention‑‑ >> Yes.
>> ‑‑ kids with their ideas. Well I tell you what, Michael, I'm going give you the
last word. You know, here we are, as 2013 is wrapping up, you know, as you look into
three‑ to five‑year horizon for the organization, what is your greatest hope in going forward
whether it's in one or more of the programs, for the organization, you know, at large,
what's your ambition going forward with Camp Invention, or with excuse me, Invent Now?
>> Sure. Our ambition obviously revolves around scale. We want to reach more and more kids,
more and more teachers with our mission, with the special, you know, opportunity that we
provide in our recognition programs through our collegiate programs. We also want to fill
the gaps age‑wise. Currently on the back burner moving to the front burner we have
a high school program. We already have a great middle school program that revolves around
counselor and training program. But we feel like we can deliver more and more innovative
content to that group, that age group. And we always want to help independent inventors.
So we want to be the best partner we can to our funders, certainly to the parents that
bring their kids to our programs. Also to the United States Patent Trademark Office,
who is our founding body, founding sponsor. We're very ambitious. We're very entrepreneurial.
And of course, our goal is to bring our mission to as many people as possible.
>> Well of course the connections between innovation and entrepreneurship are well‑known.
And there's a great fit there. So I look forward to hopefully contributing to your efforts
to meet those goals long‑term and really changing the world for the better. So thank
you so much for joining us on "Top of Mind" today.
>> Thank you, Thom. >> Thanks for having us.