Innovation Belongs Everywhere: Bringing Entrepreneurship and IP Education to Community Colleges Webinar
Empower Student Innovators Through TIPA
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Event Details
About the Webinar:
Community colleges play a vital role in developing the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. Innovation is increasingly recognized as a priority across higher education, and there is no monopoly on great ideas—they can come from any student, in any community, and across every discipline. The challenge is ensuring students have access to the knowledge and resources needed to protect, develop, and bring those ideas to market.
This webinar introduces Qualcomm's The Inventor's Patent Academy (TIPA), a free educational program that equips students and educators with foundational knowledge of innovation, intellectual property, patents, and commercialization. Participants will learn how community colleges can institutionalize innovation education by integrating TIPA into existing courses, programs, and entrepreneurial initiatives. The session will highlight practical strategies for expanding access to innovation education and empowering students with the tools to protect their intellectual property, transform ideas into opportunities, and contribute to economic growth within their communities.
About the Speakers:
Breann Branch, Ph.D. – Researcher & Southern California Outreach Coordinator, Qualcomm: The Inventor’s Patent Academy (Panel Moderator)
Dr. Breann Branch is a researcher, equity practitioner, and educator with over 13 years of experience across higher education, nonprofits, government, and consulting. She specializes in advancing inclusive innovation and addressing systemic barriers that limit equitable participation in research, technology, and economic opportunity.
She currently serves as Director of the Center for the Advancement of Women at Mount Saint Mary’s University, where she leads statewide research, advocacy, and leadership initiatives focused gender equity solutions for women and girls. She also contributes to national research as a qualitative researcher in inclusive innovation, examining disparities in patenting and innovation ecosystems, including the role of trust, access to capital, and institutional dynamics. Dr. Branch also teaches graduate courses in leadership and organizational development in the College of Innovation – Professional & Graduate Studies at Avila University.
Breann holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Missouri–Kansas City and is committed to advancing equitable systems through research, strategy, and inclusive leadership.
Yolanda D. Carothers Payne, Research Associate – Georgia Institute of Technology
Yolanda Payne’s journey with technology began with a Tandy computer from Radio Shack, sparking a lifelong fascination with how things work. With over 20 years of experience spanning Pre-K through higher education, she has dedicated her career to the intersection of Invention Education (IvE),itech technological innovation, and entrepreneurship. Yolanda is committed to building a legacy rooted in curiosity and the belief that every student has the potential to be an inventor.
As a Research Associate at Georgia Tech, Yolanda focuses on empowering educators and students to move from being passive consumers of technology to active creators of solutions. Her work emphasizes the "inventor’s mindset"—leveraging tools like the Inventor's Patent Academy, micro:bit, and Raspberry Pi to solve real-world problems. By bridging the gap between technical literacy and creative confidence, she ensures that innovation is accessible to diverse populations.
As a provisional patent holder, Yolanda knows the barriers to accessing the invention ecosystem. A staunch advocate for Intellectual Property (IP) literacy, Yolanda has cultivated strategic partnerships with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Computer Science Teachers Association, Invent Together, and Qualcomm. As the founder of Teacher Tech Knowledge, she leads workshops across the United States that help teachers integrate design thinking, prototyping, and IP protection into the classroom. Through these initiatives, Yolanda is shaping a future where students don't just learn about the world—they invent the one they want to see.
Lexa Gandolfo—Principal, Aspire Open Innovation
Lexa Gandolfo is the Principal of Aspire Open Innovation, a firm that connects companies with outside innovators to source new products and technologies available for licensing or sale.
Lexa has been working with inventors for over seven years, as an Ambassador with the United Inventors Association and as the Executive Director of New England Invents, one of the oldest inventor organizations in the U.S.
Her passion for inventing and helping other inventors is fueled by lessons learned with her own patented product invention, Pakka Cargo Caddie, a stowable trunk shelf that nearly doubles usable trunk space in SUVs, CUVs, and minivans. She licensed Cargo Caddie to a global manufacturer and supplier of RV., marine, and automotive products in May of 2023.
Prior to her launching the above efforts, Lexa was Principal of 3210 Consulting, a website design and software development company she founded in 2002.
Sam Estabrooks, Ph.D.—Learning Management Specialist, Lemelson-MIT Program
Sam Estabrooks is a molecular biologist who serves the Lemelson-MIT Program as its Learning Management Specialist and resident intellectual property (IP) expert. Soon after completing his doctoral research in Spring 2020, he joined an IP law firm in Boston, Massachusetts where he prepared pandemic-era patent applications directed to a wide range of emerging biotechnologies, including antibodies, vaccines, and methods of diagnosis and treatment. Having joined LMIT in 2025, Sam now leverages his technical expertise to support the Program’s online initiatives and promote IP education.