Breakout Session
More Than Patents: The Stories Behind the Breakthroughs
March 23, 2026 @ 2:30 PM EST – Knowles IP Room
2:30 PM ET
March 23, 2026
More Than Patents: The Stories Behind the Breakthroughs
Behind every transformative technology or life-saving therapy is a human story—of curiosity, persistence, failure, and resilience. Patents capture the technical milestones, but they rarely reflect the personal journeys, risks, and motivations that drive invention and give innovation its deeper meaning.
This panel puts inventors front and center to explore the stories behind the breakthroughs. Panelists will share why they chose to invent, the challenges they faced along the way, and how their work translated from idea to impact. The discussion will highlight how invention intersects with lived experience, personal purpose, and real-world problem solving in ways that formal IP records cannot capture.
The conversation will also examine how the patent system enables these stories by providing the structure and incentives that allow inventors to take risks, attract investment, and bring ideas to market. Panelists will reflect on what it means to see an invention make a tangible difference—whether in health, technology, or society at large.
Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/More-Than-Patents
Behind every transformative technology or life-saving therapy is a human story—of curiosity, persistence, failure, and resilience. Patents capture the technical milestones, but they rarely reflect the personal journeys, risks, and motivations that drive invention and give innovation its deeper meaning. This panel puts inventors front and center to explore the stories behind the breakthroughs. Panelists will share why they chose…
Session Speakers
Joshua Kresh
Research Professor, Executive Director
The IP Policy Institute, The University of Akron School of Law
