Teams advance to InventOR finals
Two media students, Amaryah Vara and Robin Bailey, skipped classes May 8 to 10 to participate in InventOR’s semi-final bootcamp at Portland State University, a program that encourages students to see themselves as inventors.
“Invent Oregon is the state’s only college-level prototyping competition, providing the grants and guidance necessary to take a student’s idea for positive impact through all stages of prototyping,” the competition’s website explains. Student teams develop a device or product that could be commercialized from a concept through prototype. Recruitment for InventOR teams began in the fall and competition continues through June when teams present their finished prototypes. Invent Oregon is the state’s only college-level prototyping competition.
This experience turned anxiety and confusion into ambition for Vara and Bailey, the UCC teams’ sole representatives at bootcamp. Coming from a small community college and competing against universities, Vara and Bailey were intimidated at first. However, they found they were not alone in this experience. One of the benefits of the competition is it challenges students’ assumptions, helping them to see that they really can be inventors.
UCC has two teams competing in Invent Oregon, most of whom are computer science associate professor Vincent Yip’s students. The two teams pitched ideas to InventOR judges at bootcamp with approved teams like UCC’s receiving $2000 per team in developmental grants to create a marketing prototype. The first team, Byte Me Programming, is comprised of Amaryah Vara, Felicity Tabor and Teddy Bassler. The second team, TrebleCleft, includes Robin Bailey, Rory Jordan and Joanna Clark.
Byte Me Programming is designing an affordable specialized glove to help kids with tremor-related disorders. TrebleCleft is developing RiffRest, a revolutionary music stand try attachment customizable for bands, orchestras and music group productions.
InventOR Bootcamp
At bootcamp, mentors Stacey Hoshimiya and Vanessa Zamy, experts in entrepreneurship, gave their insight about design thinking, value propositions and customer research. Other mentors and panelists including Tripp Hurt and Dan Gilette encouraged teams to consider green engineering and challenged preconceived notions about prototyping.
Student teams then used the panel information plus their own inspiration from personal experiences, or challenges faced by others around them, to either design or adapt their designs. Logan Hearty, a graduating MBA student from Willamette University, was inspired by his grandmother to create LiftLite, a body-activated lift chair alternative.
Similarly, Joshua Vanderpool, a first-year OHSU biomedical engineer, is re-designing a knee scooter called “Eazistep.” Others were motivated to make environmental differences.
Michael Van Sant, a graduating MBA student at PSU, is developing an alternative cigarette filter called “EarthGuard.”
Panelist Experience
Blake Turner, from Rogue Community College, developed a hydrogen conversion kit for a car engine, spurring him into the entrepreneurial world. After a lot of work getting his prototype approved, he was able to bring it inside the PSU exhibition hall. There was just one more problem he faced: no one told him about the stairs. He did some quick strategizing using the trailer as a ramp to move the converted 1963 Corvair up the small staircase. After not winning in his first competition at InventOR, Turner returned the following year when he earned several awards including second place. Two years later, Turner is now working at the Center for Entrepreneurship at PSU to assist in producing InventOR along with several other programs.
Through Turner’s experiences, he attests to InventOR students gaining a valuable and unique experience. “[InventOR helps] students who do not see themselves as entrepreneurs or inventors and shows them that this is a pathway they can pursue,” Turner says. “Whether it is an engineering student finding they can do business or vice versa, it is all about showing students the ability they might not realize they have.”
Another benefit of the program is the large network of entrepreneurs and innovators across Oregon who give their time and resources to support the students. Abigail Van Gelder, PSU Entrepreneurship Center director, explains. “We pair students with mentors and subject matter with experts throughout the competition.”
Finalists
InventOR teams are proceeding to the finals in June, including the two UCC teams who will present their prototypes with the other finalists. Overall, 21 colleges and universities were involved.
Funding for transportation and grants has been covered through The Lemelson Foundation, The Roundhouse Foundation, The Ford Family Foundation and Business Oregon.
Tripp Hurt, mechanical engineer at Synapse Product Development, speaks to teams on green engineering and product sustainability. Robin Bailey / The Mainstream 
Spenser Meeks of Principle Apex Presentations offers pitching tips and tricks for InventorOR. Robin Bailey / The Mainstream 
Sam Gaty, executive director of NW Documentary, and his wife speak to the value of documenting the inventing process. Robin Bailey / The Mainstream 
Arsh Haque, director of the Portland State Business Accelerator, informs teams on how to obtain funding for their prototypes. Robin Bailey / The Mainstream 
President & Chief Training Officer of LiberationX, Vanessa Zamy offers constructive feedback to Joshua Vanderpool and Michael Van Sant
Contact me at:
umpquacollegemainstream@gmail.com
For more articles by Adrien Vara, please click here.
