The stakes are high, and the process is not for the faint of heart. Inventors approach these meetings with determined optimism and a little trepidation. Preparation demands that the inventor has comprehensively researched similar products and ideas and has done the necessary pre-thinking to assert that their idea is both innovative and viable. It can be hard to thoroughly look for something that you don’t want to find. The green- light conference requires summoning a measure of belief in themselves and the courage to sell the notion that they have something new and worthy to offer. As a teacher and Gates coach, committed to the empowerment and growth of young people, these moments are incomparable. The students’ poise, self-advocacy, and thoughtfulness are simply inspiring. 

While the final Expo brings the nervous excitement of showcasing their innovation to the world, for inventors, it’s more of a celebration of the long journey their idea has taken to come to fruition. Because of this, the stakes are relatively low. Conversely, a green-light meeting holds the possibility of a dreaded red light: concluding that either the idea already exists, the notion is infeasible, or contains what Gates coaches refer to as too much unexplained “magic,” and they must start afresh. A yellow light encourages that the problem and inventor’s solution are viable, but that a bit more thinking needs to be done to resolve certain issues. The coveted green light affirms that this is both a genuine problem, and that an authentic innovation is present. Seeing the relief, pride, and elation in their faces is indescribable. The inventor(s) may now go and “ring the bell!”    

An idea (at least a good one) takes time to germinate and evolve in revealing its true identity and purpose. This requires both perseverance and adaptability in an inventor. In today’s society, extended time to tinker and reflect is rare. 

It also requires taking a risk. It’s easy to criticize or diminish – it takes courage to create. The mark of a mature inventor is the ability to humbly and successfully respond to feedback. Gates inventors invariably come to understand the risks and limitations of listening only to their own ideas.

Innovation truly is the wave of the future. All the current indicators suggest that employers of the future will increasingly look for those who can think independently, creatively, and collaborate to solve new and increasingly complex problems. The Gates inventors have a head start in this arena, for they have rightfully come to believe that their ideas have value, merit, and are indeed the stuff of new possibilities. In this, empowered young inventors offer us hope.

As the sound of each bell slowly decays, new journeys have begun...