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ABOUT THE
INVENT OREGON COLLEGIATE CHALLENGE

Invent Oregon is more than a competition—it’s a launchpad for the next generation of innovators. As Oregon’s only statewide collegiate prototyping challenge, InventOR empowers students to turn their ideas into tangible solutions that create real-world impact.

At the core of InventOR is the Entrepreneurial Mindset coupled with a human-centered philosophy for creative problem solving. We challenge students not just to make something, but to make something that matters. That means leading with empathy, cultivating curiosity, and most importantly, falling in love with the problem, not the solution. This mindset keeps students open, adaptable, and capable of the pivot, so their ideas can evolve based on what people actually need and value.

Every InventOR team embarks on a journey of discovery, guided by the Lean Startup process. At Bootcamp, our intensive three-day design sprint, students stress-test their ideas through rapid iteration, customer discovery, and real-time feedback. It’s a crash course in building with purpose and learning through doing.

Throughout the process, students build confidence and competence in three essential areas:

  • Design Thinking -- A human-centered, iterative approach grounded in empathetic discovery and user feedback
     

  • Business Model Canvas – A strategic framework for testing viability, sustainability, and the potential to generate both impact and income
     

  • Storytelling – Clear, concise, and compelling communication that informs, inspires, and persuades
     

InventOR is about more than invention; it’s about action. It’s about learning to ask the right questions, challenge assumptions, and refine ideas based on real human experience—not just theory.

Each team receives a $2,000 development grant, 1:1 mentorship, dedicated guidance, resources and tools to help them move from sketch to showcase. Finalists present their inventions at the InventOR Collegiate Challenge each June, where they compete for $30,000 in prizes—and the opportunity to scale their ideas even further.

With support from visionary partners like the Lemelson Foundation, Business Oregon, Roundhouse Foundation, Ford Family Foundation, and Portland State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, InventOR is cultivating a statewide community of thoughtful, impact-driven innovators—students who are not only building things, but building a better future.

2018

Twenty-one student teams representing 11 universities and community colleges from across Oregon converged in Klamath Falls for the 2018 InventOR Collegiate Challenge Finals held on the beautiful campus of Oregon Tech. Produce Mate, a team from the University of Portland that developed a silicone mat designed to keep fruits and vegetables from spoiling and reduce food waste was the top prize winner.

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2019

In 2019, the InventOR Collegiate Challenge Finals returned to Portland, taking place at Portland State University’s Viking Pavilion. Following a semifinal competition in May, 21 teams advanced to the finals representing 17 colleges and universities from across the state. The Reclaimers, a team from Oregon Tech that developed a system for rural communities to recycle waste plastic into crude oil, won the top prize

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2020

2020 was a challenging year for all Oregonians experiencing lockdowns and social distancing. This year, InventOR hosted a virtual competition with 18 teams competing from 11 schools. All teams advanced to finals and in the end, Safe Start, a Lewis and Clark team developing an anti-drunk driving device took first place.

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OUR

HISTORY

Invent Oregon was started in 2017 by the PSU Center for Entrepreneurship with support from the Lemelson Foundation. The competition grew from just a handful of competing schools to a truly statewide program with 20 schools — from private universities to community colleges — participating from across the state.

2017

Nine student teams representing five universities participated in the first InventOR Collegiate Challenge. The finals were held at Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) with teams pitching their concepts in front of the giant screens of the Empirical Theater. Nexgarden, a team from Portland State University working on a high-efficiency indoor farming system, took home the top prize.

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2021

In 2021, InventOR continued to be virtual for the second consecutive year. 58 students representing 13 Oregon schools were given the opportunity to showcase their progress to more than 950 people in attendance. In the end, Electerro, a team from the Oregon Institute of Technology that harvests solar energy with a more natural aesthetic, took home first place. 

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2022

In 2022, InventOR was hosted in person by Rogue Community College at their main campus in Grants Pass, Oregon. 44 students representing 16 Oregon schools were showcase their progress to more than 500 people in attendance. In the end, Love Hate Athletica, a team from the University of Oregon that develop a new type of athletic wear for tennis players , took home first place.

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2023

In 2023, InventOR took place in Portland, OR at the Redd, an Ecotrust building dedicated to maintaining sustainable event spaces. 34 students representing 10 Oregon higher education institutions showcased their progress for more than 400 people viewing in-person and on a livestream. A team representing Southern Oregon University took home the top prize. Slap Weight is a solution for athletic training to increase resistance in small increments to prevent injury.

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2024

In 2024, InventOR took place in Eugene, OR at the University of Oregon. 45 students representing 13 Oregon higher education institutions showcased their progress for more than 200 people. A team representing Oregon Health and Science University took home the top prize. EaziStep is a transforming medical device that provides multiple mobility options as a knee scooter and hands-free crutch for foot and ankle injuries. 

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Invent Oregon is made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors

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