Tampa, FL – September 3, 2026
The future of American innovation depends as much on investing in people as it does on investing in technology. Today, The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) launched the National Invention Ambassadors Network to help prepare a new generation of innovators and build America’s future.
Every inventor can point to someone who changed their trajectory – a friend who challenged them to think bigger, a teacher who recognized their potential, a colleague who opened a door, or a leader who invested in their success. Those mentors help shape careers, discover technologies, and improve our lives.
An integral component of the American Innovation Campaign, the National Invention Ambassadors Network brings together accomplished inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, scientists, engineers, university leaders, industry executives, intellectual property experts, and innovation leaders from across the United States. Collectively, they represent the breadth of American innovation from higher education, industry, and government to healthcare and life sciences, national security and defense, advanced manufacturing, aerospace, energy, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. Together, the Ambassadors reflect the people, places, disciplines, and sectors driving invention and innovation across America.
“NAI’s National Invention Ambassadors Network will expand opportunities by inspiring future generations of innovators on the frontiers of today’s discoveries,” said John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “USPTO is proud to partner with NAI to strengthen our economic competitiveness through the renewal and transformation of American inventiveness into innovations that improve lives and create prosperity.”
A National Network of Innovation Leaders
America’s inaugural National Invention Ambassadors have built companies, advanced scientific discovery, strengthened public institutions, transformed industries, and launched countless careers. Through this initiative, they will:
- Champion intellectual property education and innovation literacy while mentoring students, researchers, faculty, entrepreneurs, and inventors.
- Inspire and help build the next generation of inventors through keynote presentations, workshops, and educational programming.
- Strengthen technology commercialization practices while fostering collaboration among universities, industry, government, investors, and nonprofit organizations.
- Support regional innovation ecosystems and America’s economic competitiveness.
“Most inventor journeys are shaped by mentors who share their experience, challenge assumptions, open doors, and create opportunities,” said Dr. James Conley, Charter Fellow NAI, National Invention Ambassador, and Clinical Professor of Operations at Northwestern University. “This Network gives us a meaningful way to help others navigate the path from discovery to impact.”
Join America’s Innovation Movement
The National Academy of Inventors invites universities, federal agencies, corporations, foundations, entrepreneurs, investors, innovation organizations, and individual innovators to become part of this growing national movement.
“The legacy of any inventor is more than just the intellectual property and technology they create. It includes the people they inspire, mentor, and prepare to achieve great things,” said Dr. Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the National Academy of Inventors and Distinguished Professor at the University of South Florida. “Through the National Invention Ambassadors Network, everyone has the opportunity to engage America’s leading innovators, invest in the next generation, and ensure an enduring benefit to society.”
To see the roster of Ambassadors, request their participation in events, and learn about the NAI-USPTO Joint Project, visit www.academyofinventors.org/ambassadors.
About the National Academy of Inventors
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, governmental agencies, and nonprofit research institutes, with more than 4,600 individual inventor members and Fellows representing over 300 institutions worldwide. NAI recognizes and encourages inventors with U.S. patents, enhances the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourages the disclosure of intellectual property, educates and mentors future innovators, and convenes partnerships to accelerate the translation of discovery into societal and economic impact.
In the coming months, NAI will introduce initiatives under its Joint Project Agreement with the USPTO that create new opportunities to connect America’s leading inventors with federal agencies, strategic partners, and mission-driven innovation initiatives.