Over 20 Years of Gates Innovation
2025 Dates
List of 3 items.
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Judging Process
- At the expo, judges speak with each inventor to evaluate the entries before selecting 10-15 finalists.
- The following day, finalists make individual presentations to the panel of judges using additional support material such as slide presentations to describe their invention and process in more detail.
- Judges sequester to determine the contest winners.
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Criteria
All entries are judged on four criteria:- Functionality
- Creativity
- Marketability
- Clarity of Communication
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Patent Support
In exceptional cases, judges may award a "patent nod" to a particular invention. Those projects receive additional funding for more in-depth research, design and guidance through the patent process.
2025 Competition Finalists
Finalists will be announced by 6:00 p.m. on March 6, 2025.
Competition Day Judges
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Ken Parks
Ken Parks is currently serves as global vice president of engineering and technology for the Victaulic Corporation. He previously served as an engineering and technical consultant for Arcadia Group International and the senior vice president of engineering/research and development for the Gates Corporation.Read More -
Susan M Majka, PhD
Read MoreSusan M Majka, PhD, is a professor at National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and an internationally renowned expert on lung vascular progenitor cells in health and disease. -
Steven Chalmers
Steven Chalmers is a dedicated and prolific tinkerer, and the inventor of a unique cat drinking fountain called the AquaPurr.Read More
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Cindy Cookson
Cindy Cookson is a vice president of Global Product Line Management at Gates Corporation. She leads the product line strategy, innovation commercialization, and financial performance for the industrial fluid power portfolios.Read More -
Fabienne Gally, PhD
Read MoreFabienne Gally, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at National Jewish Health in the Department of Immunology and Genomic Medicine. Dr. Gally received her PhD in France after graduating from the National Institute of Applied Sciences in biochemical engineering. -
Jake Dresden
Jake Dresden is the Metro Denver Director for A Little Help, a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of older adults by connecting them with local volunteers to provide services and companionship.Read More
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Graland Country Day School
Graland Country Day School is a private school in Denver, Colorado, serving students in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and middle school. Founded in Denver in 1927, Graland incorporates a rich, experiential learning approach in a traditional classroom setting, emphasizing the development of globally and socially conscious leaders who excel academically.
