The Lemelson Foundation

The Lemelson Foundation uses the power of invention to improve lives. 

Established by prolific US inventor Jerome Lemelson and his wife Dorothy in the early 1990s, and guided today by the Lemelson family, The Lemelson Foundation (the Foundation) believes invention can solve many of the biggest economic and social challenges of our time. A private philanthropy, the Foundation has assets of approximately $450 million and an annual budget of approximately $20 million. All told, the Foundation has provided over $300 million in grants and other investments to hundreds of organizations around the world. The Foundation approaches its work to strengthen the invention ecosystem and empower inventors to solve the biggest global challenges and opportunities of our time, using a three-part framework called Impact Inventing: 

• Inventions should have positive social impact; 
• Inventions should be environmentally responsible—from the materials and processes used through final products that go to market; and, 
• Business models should become financially self-sustaining. 

The Foundation has created a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, and innovation. An entrepreneurial environment with flexibility and opportunities for impact has allowed the small team (10-15) to have an outsized impact in the social landscape of invention.