The Lemelson Foundation

The 2026 Inventor Finals kicked off today, but first there were special appearances yesterday from InventOR alumni!

This year’s competition at Oregon State University-Cascades in Bend marks a 10-year milestone. Last night, the Central Oregon PubTalk — hosted by EDCO - Economic Development for Central Oregon — brought together a panel of InventOR alums to talk about their experiences and celebrate the program’s decade of impact as part of the state’s innovation ecosystem.

"We think innovation comes from lone geniuses, but it actually comes from connected communities,” said Juan Barraza, who facilitated the panel and was an original steward of InventOR along with The Lemelson Foundation and the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship.

Congrats to each of the alumni on the panel for their accomplishments as inventors, entrepreneurs, and mentors since competing in InventOR:

🌱 Skyler Pearson, NexGarden, 2017 InventOR Winner
🥕 Dagan Kay, Produce Mate, 2018 InventOR Winner
⚙️ Ashlei Morgan, The Reclaimers, 2019 InventOR Winner
🚘 Blake Turner, Turner Automotive, 2019 InventOR Second Place
❄️ Mark Morrison, Cold Connect, 2025 InventOR Visionary Award Winner

Big congratulations are in order for Oregon MESA! 🏆✨

We are incredibly proud to celebrate the middle and high school state engineering champions who recently represented at the MESA National Engineering and Design Competition, hosted by Maryland MESA at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Not only did these brilliant students make it to the national stage, but they also brought home some serious hardware! 🥇🥈🥉

These incredible teams are a powerful reminder of what happens when we equip young people with the tools to innovate for social good:

Parkrose Middle School took on climate-related stressors and housing insecurity in their community. After interviewing school staff, they invented an affordable, accessible, temperature-regulating poncho to support students facing extreme weather. They received:
🥇 1st Place – Project Symposium (a rigorous, in-depth judging interview covering every aspect of their invention!)
🥈 2nd Place – Technical Project Poster

Early College High School (Salem) focused on inclusion and emotional development. Working closely with a local special education teacher, they created a collaborative, interactive console designed to help students build trust, communication skills, and peer relationships in early learning environments. They received:
🥉 3rd Place – Technical Pitch (the single most competitive category in the entire competition!)

Congratulations to all the students, educators, and mentors involved. You aren't just the innovators of tomorrow — you are actively changing lives today!



📷 cred: Oregon Mesa