Supporting Entrepreneurship: Michelson 20MM Intellectual Property Initiative Expands to Community Colleges

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Michelson 20MM Foundation, in partnership with The National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) kicked-off a multi-campus pilot earlier this month as part of its newest program, The Michelson Intellectual Property Initiative, "Michelson IP".

Launched in 2016, Michelson IP aims to increase the understanding of IP to encourage creativity and empower the next generation of innovators and creators. The program is anchored by interactive textbook, The Intangible Advantage: Understanding Intellectual Property in the New Economy, and additional instructional materials that cover the basics of patents, trademarks, copyright, and trade secrets. All materials are freely available thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon and inventor, Dr. Gary K. Michelson, and his wife, Alya Michelson.

"With community colleges educating nearly half of all undergraduates, these campuses are the launch pad for many of tomorrow's entrepreneurs," said Dr. Gary K. Michelson, founder of Michelson 20MM. "Our goal is to amplify IP education efforts and empower all students with the necessary foundational knowledge to succeed in today's economy."

As Rebecca Corbin, President and CEO of NACCE explains, "Understanding the basics of intellectual property and its value and role in science, business and arts professions is a vital component in the education of the many would-be entrepreneurs studying at community colleges. To leave IP out of the undergraduate curriculum would be a disservice to this entire student body."

NACCE and Michelson 20MM selected Santa Monica College to lead the development of the IP master syllabus and modular content that will be piloted with other participating colleges starting this fall. Pilot colleges include: Butte College, Oroville, CA; College of Marin, Kentfield, CA; Glendale Community College, Glendale, CA; Lorain County Community College, Elyria, OH; Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA; CUNY Queensborough Community College, Bayside, NY.

"The modular format gave me the flexibility to easily adopt the appropriate level of depth for each area of IP, whether it was for business law or my introduction to business class," explained Sal Veas, Chairman of SMC's Business Department. "I have no doubt other faculty will find it equally simple to do the same for their courses."

Michelson 20MM and SMC will be presenting at the NACCE 2017 Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida on October 10, 2017. To learn more about the initiative and pilot program, contact Mayra Lombera at [email protected].

About the Michelson 20MM Foundation
The Michelson 20MM Foundation supports and invests in leading edge entrepreneurs, technologies, and initiatives with the potential to improve postsecondary access, affordability, and efficacy. Michelson 20MM was founded thanks to the generous support of renowned spinal surgeon Dr. Gary K. Michelson and his wife, Alya Michelson.

For more information, visit www.20mm.org or www.michelsonip.com. Follow us on twitter at @Michelson20MM and @MichelsonIP.

About NACCE
NACCE is an organization of educators, administrators, presidents and entrepreneurs focused on inciting entrepreneurship in their community and on their campus. NACCE has two main goals: 1. Empower the college to approach the business of running a community college with an entrepreneurial mindset, and 2. Grow the community college's role in supporting job creation and entrepreneurs in their local ecosystem.

For more information, visit http://www.nacce.com. Follow us on twitter at @NACCE, like us on Facebook, and join our LinkedIn group.

SOURCE The Michelson 20MM Foundation

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http://www.20mm.org