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Gartner Gives

Gartner Supports Tomorrow's STEM Leaders at the Invention Convention

Innovative ideas abound at Gartner – one of the many reasons our clients come to us for expert advice. And as our leaders advise other leaders across industry, we are keenly aware of the value in nurturing tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and creators. We recently partnered with the Global Invention Convention to inspire the STEM leaders of tomorrow. Through donations and the volunteer efforts of dozens of associates from across the company, Gartner helped support more than 135,000 students who participated this year – and awarded one idea with a special distinction!

What is the Invention Convention?

The Invention Convention is a global education program that teaches students how they can solve problems through hands-on, real-world, project-based learning. Through local chapters around the world, students in grades K-12 develop inventions and share them with audiences of professionals, teachers and peers to receive feedback and refine their ideas.

In the United States, students who compete locally can qualify to pitch their ideas at state-level competitions – and if they’re successful, at the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals. Top inventions at the national competition can win prizes including scholarships, cash and support with patent applications.

Showing our support

Gartner’s earliest connection with the Invention Connection was through colleagues in Connecticut who supported a local chapter, but we recently expanded our support of the organization to make a greater impact.

“The Invention Convention’s mission perfectly aligns with our program’s focus on education and the organization checks a lot of boxes in terms of matching up with Gartner’s culture, expertise and global footprint,” explains Matt Gerber, Corporate Social Responsibility Sr. Specialist. So for the 2021-2022 school year, Gartner stepped up to support this innovative program at the U.S. Nationals and at local chapters in both Connecticut and Florida.

 

Our financial support was reinforced by 37 associates who volunteered as judges for regional and national Invention Convention events this year, five of whom attended the U.S. Nationals in Michigan in person on June 3. Others participated virtually, representing Gartner’s culture and brand, and supporting these exceptional young entrepreneurs. Some of our judges shared their thoughts on the convention below: 

“We were founded as a technology research firm, so we need to promote and inspire others to take up STEM field studies to continue to drive innovation to make the world a better place.” - Daniel Axelrod, Recruiter

“Gartner talks a lot about innovation. Students of today are innovators of tomorrow, and Gartner’s support for such events becomes the very essence of what it is known for.” - Saher Mahmood, Associate Principal Analyst

“Events like this give students the opportunity to showcase their talents, their ingenuity to scientifically create and give them recognition for their hard work on their projects.” - Kathleen Gray, Senior Administrative Assistant 

 

A winning idea

As part of our support for the U.S. Nationals, our team sponsored the Gartner Research prize for one talented group of student inventors, including a trophy and scholarship funds. The three winners – Barnabas L., Michelle L., and Tianjie L., high school seniors from Georgia – won the prize for their invention, the UltraVii. This patent-pending product, a UV-C light laptop keyboard cleaner, aims to help reduce the spread of infectious diseases by providing a low-cost, portable option for sterilizing laptop keyboards and other electronics.

 

“It was incredibly inspiring to see so many talented young inventors in one place,” said Elena Angell, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, who presented the award to the winning team. “Just like our Gartner associates, they see a problem and turn it into an opportunity, and have perseverance to work through obstacles to create something. As one student put it, ‘almost nothing works the first time.’ I’m proud that our support will help these young entrepreneurs continue their work!”

 

Elena was joined in Michigan by four other Gartner associates – Alyse Clevenger, Associate Category Manager, Andy George, MVP Sales, Julie Hopkins, Group Vice President and Kristin Zompa, MVP Research Business Ops – who volunteered as judges at the event. “Events like this should give all of us tremendous confidence in our collective futures,” said Andy. “These are intelligent, motivated and passionate students who are already making their mark on the world. For Gartner to be a sponsor and support these projects fuels more students to follow in their footsteps.”

 

And of course, by introducing these talented young innovators to Gartner at an early age, we’re building our brand with potential future associates and clients! We are proud to invest in the leaders of tomorrow – and extend a special thank you to all the associates who were a part of making an impact in our communities.

Learn more about how our associates make a difference in the communities we live and work in here