I ALWAYS tend to think inventors are people of the past - creative minds like Edison and Ford who crafted something ambitious and made a dramatic change in our lives. Nowadays, most products are just improvements on previous ones: smaller phones, more data storage, sleeker designs and whatnot. But there are inventors out there who are still doing just what you would imagine they do - inventing.
Although inventing is a worldwide enterprise, the traits of inventors - their drive, ambition and ingenuity - are hallmarks of the American Dream. These qualities do not often take center stage, however, and exist mostly in the people quietly striving to excel.
Inventors recently got a chance to shine at the University of Virginia Entrepreneurship Cup, which was held shortly before Thanksgiving break. This annual competition is a chance for students who want to test their abilities to present to others their ideas and inventions.
It does not hurt that some hefty prize money is involved, as well. The winning team of fourth-year Commerce students Ginny Robinson and Tyler Durham, were awarded $20,000 for their invention "Memoria," a kind of online obituary that allows loved ones to celebrate the deceased in a more personal manner than simply writing on their Facebook walls. The second-place prize of $10,000 went to first-year College student Joseph Linzon, who happens to be a friend of mine who lives on my hall. And it is Durham, Robinson and Linzon who I think truly embody what it means to be an inventor.
To better understand the people behind the inventions, I asked Robinson about her endeavor to create Memoria. "We want to make a difference," she said. "The goal for Memoria is to help families in the grieving process remember their passed loved ones and connect with friends and relatives regardless of their geographic proximity." Robinson said the death of a friend in high school motivated her to create Memoria.
Since he lives only a few yards from me, I have a greater understanding of Linzon. Many weeks before the competition, Linzon had me review an essay he was writing. It was here that I first learned of his invention, called Powersole.
Powersole is essentially a shoe constructed to harness the energy generated by walking to charge devices like cell phones and MP3 players. At first, I thought Powersole was a piece of fiction Linzon was using for a creative writing class. When I asked him, however, he assured me that not only was Powersole a real idea, it was also something he had already invented and had sitting on a shelf in his room. I was definitely impressed, especially considering the affluent background from which Linzon comes.
When I asked Linzon why he pushes himself to such limits to succeed, when he lacks the same monetary incentive as others, he said, "In order to derive a sense of satisfaction with my life, I feel I need to attain success on my own merit."
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