Alamo Inventors, San Antonio, Texas

Come and learn about inventing and how to take your idea to the next level.
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Once a month, we have a meeting with a presentation about something invention related. Sometimes it's the creative part, like how someone came up with an idea. Sometimes it's the legal parts, like protection, patents, trademark, & licensing. Manufacturing comes up a lot, and so does marketing. We always enjoy our speakers, and we always learn from them. Questions are always encouraged, and our speakers share insights you can't get anywhere else. Before the meeting, you can visit with other inventors. New faces are always welcome, and if you have questions about invention or patents or marketing or ... there are usually members who can help guide you.

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Meeting Date
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Register on Zoom to Receive the Meeting Code by Email

6PM CST, usually until 8PM or so. This meeting is online, on Zoom

Topic:
From Idea To Impact – The Inventive Journey Of A Prominent Inventor

Speaker:
James Howard

James Howard will present a powerful session that connects creativity, innovation and history into a living roadmap for anyone who dares to invent. His presentation will provide more than just inspiration as it will deliver actionable insights for inventors of all levels including:

• Learn how to turn observations into opportunities using Design Thinking

• Understand the real-world process of developing, protecting and marketing an invention

• Discover the power of storytelling in getting your innovation noticed

• See how diversity and inclusion can open doors to new ideas and collaborations

• Find motivation in the perseverance behind creating something that changes the world.

James is a renowned industrial designer, lecturer and design historian with an impressive record of 300 products and 20 patents. His story illustrates what every inventor must master: how to identify unmet needs, convert creative ideas into working designs and move them through the maze of manufacturing, marketing and intellectual property.

As the founder of Entrepreneurial U, a private career school specializing in Design Thinking, James teaches the step-by-step process that turns an insight into a viable product. His signature course, “Bridge: Exploring New Career Pathways,” guides students through identifying real-world problems, proposing workable solutions and executing those ideas in the marketplace. These are the same creative and analytical skills inventors rely on when refining prototypes or pitching concepts for licensing.

In his role as Executive Director of THE BLACK INVENTORS HALL OF FAME, James has uncovered and celebrated stories of African American inventors whose achievements have too often gone unrecognized. By chronicling their journeys, how they faced obstacles, patented their innovations and persisted in getting their ideas noticed, he provides a rich blueprint for modern-day creators navigating similar challenges.

James’s experience on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Intellectual Property Alliance and his work with the National Inventors Hall of Fame bring firsthand insight into how the patent system works and how inventors can protect their intellectual property while promoting diversity and equity in innovation.

As an award-winning filmmaker, James has also used storytelling to explore fairness and opportunity in the patent system. His documentaries The Gathering and The Great Equalizer reveal how persistence, preparation and understanding the system can level the playing field for independent inventors.

A double graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with both BFA and MFA degrees in Industrial Design, James has lectured at the University of Texas Center for Integrated Design and was recently honored with membership in the National Academy of Inventors and the Inspire Top 100 Award.

Over the past four years, James and his team have pursued an extraordinary project, designing and building the nation’s first museum dedicated exclusively to the pioneering genius of African American inventors spanning the last 400 years. The lessons from this journey, vision building, persistence through obstacles and transforming a concept into a national institution, mirror the path every inventor must take from idea to realization.
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We Look Forward to Seeing You on Zoom

AI SIG Meeting
On Feburary 26th, at 6PM, the Alamo Inventors AI group will meet, exploring the convergence of artificial intelligence, inventing, and entrepreneurship. Sign up on Eventbrite



Guests are welcome.

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