Tomorrow evening, March 25, 2026, at 5:30 pm, we will be holding the next Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT) via zoom. Attorney Joseph LaRocco will be presenting on “Key Legal Agreements and Business Structures for Inventors: A Practical Overview”. More information can be found here.
Tag: Inventors Association of Connecticut
Inventors Association of Connecticut meeting tomorrow night!
The Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT) will be meeting tomorrow evening at 5:30 pm via zoom. Mike Roer, is president of the Entrepreneurship Foundation, teaches new product launch, and venture capital investing. He organized the first angel investor club in Connecticut; managed associations of investors in New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Connecticut, ran the largest venture capital fair in the northeast, manages the Connecticut Business Competition and Conference, and is the author of the guide “Launching a New Venture”.
Mike will have 3 topics tomorrow:
1. Climate Challenge Competition in April;
2. How to use AI to generate free prototype images for market feedback — in seconds — prior to investing serious time and dollars into a physical prototype; and
3. Roundtable Discussion: What support do you need from state of CT to bring more made-in-CT products to market.
More information can be found here.
Attending Holiday party at the Inventors Association of Connecticut
I will be attending the (after) Holiday Party thrown by the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT). The party will be held tonight at Standard Manufacturer of America; Auditorium SMA Shuimin, 185 Plains Road, Suite 109E, Milford CT 06461. It will be great to see old inventor friends and make new inventor friends! More information is here.
I attended the Inventors Association of Connecticut Meeting last night
I enjoyed the presentation last night at the Inventor’s Association of Connecticut (IACT) meeting via zoom. Edwin Wold presented on Funding Options for Inventors. Per Edwin: “Funding is one of the most significant challenges inventors encounter on the journey from idea to market. This presentation examines the full range of funding options available to inventors, from self-funding and support from family and friends to angel investors, crowdfunding platforms, venture capital firms, and SBA loans. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of how each option works, what investors are looking for, and how to prepare for funding conversations. Whether you’re just starting or ready to scale, this session provides practical insights to help you secure the proper funding to bring your invention to life.”
For more information on IACT and their next meetings, please go here.
Attended Inventors Association of Connecticut Meeting Tonight
I am happy to say I attended the Inventor’s Association of Connecticut (IACT) meeting tonight. Vanessa Sena was the speaker tonight. Vanessa is the visionary CEO of MLC Nutrition, committed to transforming healthcare through Food as Medicine. She has created innovative food systems and nutrition programs for hospitals like UConn Health and Hartford HealthCare, as well as for government agencies, focusing on outpatient care and holistic patient support. Vanessa has also led pioneering Food as Medicine programs for CT Pharma and Edible Arrangements, bridging culinary innovation with healthcare solutions. Her work emphasizes accessible, personalized care that improves health outcomes across diverse communities. Her talk was interesting and gave encouragement to her fellow inventors. For more information on IACT, go here.
Inventors Association of Connecticut Meeting Tonight!
I am attending tonight’s zoom Inventor’s Association of Connecticut (IACT) meeting tonight. The presenter is Kempton Coady, and his topic will be: Turning Vision into Venture: Inspiring Lessons in Raising Capital and Building Businesses. More information can be found here.
Resources for Inventors
As many of you know I am the speaker chair for the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT), an inventor’s group located here in Connecticut. The president of our group Doug Lyon has prepared a list of resources for inventors, and I have decided to share them here.
State & Economic Development Agencies
DECD (Department of Economic and Community Development) Economic development initiatives and state-level funding. http://www.ct.gov/ecd/
Connecticut Innovations (CI) State-backed VC fund supporting startups with equity, loans, and tax credits. https://ctinnovations.com/
CTNext A subsidiary of CI focused on innovation grants, including SBIR support and Innovation Places. https://ctnext.com/
AdvanceCT Promotes economic growth in CT; offers a business support catalog and site-finder. https://www.advancect.org/
CT APEX (formerly PTAC) Government contract support for small businesses in CT. https://ctptac.org/
SCORE Connecticut Free small business mentoring and workshops. https://www.score.org/
Startup Support & Accelerator Programs
ABCT (Accelerator for Biosciences in CT) Accelerator for early-stage bioscience ventures. https://abct.co/
YEI (Yale Entrepreneurial Institute) Yale’s startup accelerator and funding resource. http://yei.yale.edu/
Entrepreneurship Foundation Offers mentorship and educational programs. https://entrepreneurshipfoundation.org/
Valley Venture Mentors (VVM) Startup support and prize funding (up to $250K). https://valleyventurementors.org/
RESET Hartford Workshops, shared space, accelerator program, and funding opportunities. https://www.resetco.org/
Univ. of Hartford Entrepreneur Center Free advising and student consulting for startups. https://www.hartford.edu/barney/about/centers-and-institutes/entrepreneurial-center/
Inventor & Innovation Resources
IACT (Inventors Association of CT) Inventor community and support network. http://www.inventus.org/
UConn IP Law Clinic Free IP legal services for qualified entrepreneurs. https://law.uconn.edu/…/intellectual-property-entrepreneurship-law-clinic/
UConn Technology Commercialization Services Incubator and startup services for university-affiliated ventures. http://research.uconn.edu/…/incubator-services/
UConn Patent Clinic Assists in navigating patent law for startups and researchers. https://law.uconn.edu/…/intellectual-property-entrepreneurship-law-clinic/
Funding Programs & Financial Support
SBIR/STTR Programs Federal non-dilutive funding for innovative small businesses. https://www.sbir.gov/ | https://ctnext.com/sbir-sttr-intake-form-2024/
Angel Investor Forum Group of CT-based angel investors funding early-stage ventures. http://www.angelinvestorforum.com/
Manufacturing Innovation Fund DECD-backed grants for manufacturing startups. https://portal.ct.gov/…/Manufacturing-Innovation-Fund
CT Small Business Boost Fund Flexible working capital loans. https://ctsmallbusinessboostfund.org/
WBDC Equity Match Grant Program Funding for women-owned small businesses. https://ctwbdc.org/equity-match-grant-program/
HEDCO Loan Programs Loans, including purchase order financing. https://www.hedcoinc.com/
Angel Investor Tax Credit Programs Tax credits for individuals investing in CT startups (including cannabis). https://ctinnovations.com/…/angel-investor-tax-credit-program/
Crowdfunding via Patronicity Community-matched funding. https://www.patronicity.com/sustainablect
CleanTech Open Northeast Pitch competitions and accelerator for cleantech startups. https://www.cleantechopen.org/
Tech, Manufacturing & Climate Resources
CCAT (CT Center for Advanced Technology) Manufacturing assessments, prototyping, and innovation support. https://www.ccat.us/
CONNSTEP Lean manufacturing, quality systems, and advanced technology support. https://www.connstep.org/
FORGE Supports physical product development and scaling. https://forgemass.org/
ClimateHaven Climate tech incubator in New Haven. https://www.climatehaven.tech/
Future Climate Venture Studio Climate-related startup accelerator. https://www.futureclimateventurestudio.com/
Maker & Co-working Spaces
MakeHaven (New Haven) Maker space with tools and workshops. https://www.makehaven.org/
The District (New Haven) Innovation campus and co-working community. https://www.districtnhv.com/
B-Hive (Bridgeport) Co-working and startup space. www.bhivebridgeport.com
Bridgeport Innovation Center Affordable offices for growing businesses. www.bridgeportinnovationcenter.com
Danbury Hackerspace Collaborative makerspace and incubator. www.danburyhackerspace.com
Hamden Business Incubator Startup and small business space. http://www.hamdeneconomicdevelopment.org/…
HubCap (Wallingford) Co-working and entrepreneurial hub. http://www.hubcapwallingford.com/
Colodesk (Shared Office) Coworking and business development services. www.colodesk.com
Comradity (Stamford) Strategy studio and innovation coworking. www.comradity.net/content
MakerspaceCT (Hartford) Largest makerspace in the state. https://makerspacect.com/
CT Hackerspace (Watertown) Tech-focused makerspace and community. www.cthackerspace.com
NESIT (Meriden) Nonprofit hackerspace for technology and crafts. http://nesit.org
Makers Guild (Fairfield County) Youth and adult STEAM education & prototyping. http://makersguildfc.com
Export, Diversity & Equity Resources
Naval & Maritime Consortium Maritime sector business support. https://www.nmconsortium.com/
CT Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) Women-focused business training and funding. https://ctwbdc.org/
KNOWNPreneurs Accelerator for BIPOC founders. https://www.nhvknown.com/knownpreneurs/
Collab New Haven Mentorship and startup support for underrepresented founders. https://collabnewhaven.org/
U.S. Department of Commerce Resources for international trade and exporting. https://www.trade.gov/
Presentation on What Inventors should know about Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights, 5-28-2025 at the Milford Public Library
Are you an inventor, do you know an inventor, do you wish you were an inventor, do you have questions about patents, trademarks or copyrights?
If so, then please come to the Inventors Association of Connecticut ‘s (IACT) presentation on Wednesday May 28, 2025, 5:30 pm, at the Milford Public Library–Program Room. Registered patent attorney Michael A. Blake will be presenting on What Inventors Should Know about Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights. More information can be found here. Information on IACT can be found here.
The Inventors Association of Connecticut will be holding its monthly meeting tonight at the Milford Library
The Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT) will be holding a meeting tonight at 5:30 pm at the Milford Library. It is open to the public. Tonight, David Masa will be presenting. Mr. Maass will provide an overview of Additive Manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D Printing. First introduced about 30 years ago, AM has steadily grown at a compound annual rate of 25% ever since and is now an $18 BB industry. What started as a way to make rapid prototypes from polymers (plastics) now includes a wide range of materials including metals, ceramics, food and even human tissue and organs. There are seven major classes of AM processes and equipment, and many variants of each process type. There is also a very wide range of end-use applications including medical devices, rocket engines, tooling, spare parts and a trend towards serial production use in many industries. David will describe why AM innovation is often in the news today, where and why AM is being used while showing numerous and varied examples.
More information on IACT can be found here.
The Pros and Cons of a Provisional Patent Application presentation at Inventor’s Association of Connecticut
HI All,
I will be presenting a talk entitled “The Pros and Cons of a Provisional Patent Application” at the Inventors Association of Connecticut (IACT). Do you have big ideas? Do you dream of going on Shark Tank? Amateur inventors, aspiring entrepreneurs, and creative minds–all are welcome!
The meeting will be held on Wednesday September 25, 2024 at the Milford Public Library in the Library Program Room from 6:30 pm to 8 pm. More information on the meeting can be found here. Information on IACT can be found here.