The Thomas Edison Innovation Fellowship brings together a group of patent scholars to both learn from and work with distinguished leaders in the field over the course of a year. Organized by George Mason University’s Center for the Protection of IP (CPIP), Fellows will eventually publish one or more papers based on their research during the Fellowship.

This week the Edison Fellows, their senior commentators, and CPIP’s team convened for a final round of meetings. I benefitted from a better understanding of the real-world dynamics of invention and commercialization, the academic rigor of the program, and the supportive and collegial network of friends and partners I met as a result of our time together.