501(c)(3) nonprofit · IP access for underserved inventors
Your idea matters. You shouldn't have to figure out IP alone.
Community IP's mission is to help underserved inventors obtain intellectual property. Learn about patents, trademarks, and copyrights — then get connected with education, mentoring, and support options you can actually access.
Educational support and intake only · Not legal advice
Why this platform exists
Entire communities are locked out of intellectual property — not for lack of talent, but for lack of guidance and affordable access.
Sources: USPTO, Stanford Equality of Opportunity Project
Our mission
Community IP's mission is to help underserved inventors obtain intellectual property.
Community IP wants to change the access gap. Started by two patent professionals in 2024, our goal is to help the vast, untapped well of talent by providing intellectual-property support to inventors who are historically underrepresented.
Community IP will democratize access to intellectual property by offering expert patent services to innovators who might otherwise be unable to afford them — alongside education, mentoring, and needs-based support, subject to program capacity.
What we do today
- Raising awareness by hosting events and seminars about IP, specifically for women and younger adults
- Offering low-cost IP services
- Mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs and business owners in underrepresented communities
- Providing needs-based funding for IP projects
Community IP is a 501(c)(3) organization.
The access gap
Only 20% of inventors are people of color. Only 12.8% are women.
Entire sectors of the population are under-represented in intellectual property. These creative people are capable of doing something world-changing, but lack the time or resources to develop their inventions.
12.8%
of all inventors named on U.S. patents are women
USPTO Progress and Potential report
3×
more likely for white Americans to invent than Black Americans
Harvard University research cited by USPTO
10×
more likely to invent if born in the top 1% of earners vs. below-median income
USPTO / Equality of Opportunity Project
~20%
of inventors are people of color
Community IP / industry estimates
Even the best students at under-resourced schools don't have the success of mediocre students of higher income. A 2017 paper by Stanford University's Equality of Opportunity Project found that the top 5% highest-scoring low-income kids were less likely to eventually become inventors than below-average math students from affluent families. The study's authors call these kids "Lost Einsteins."
How we help
A digital front door for inventors who've been left out
Community IP doesn't replace your lawyer. We help you understand your options and connect with education, mentoring, and support — subject to program capacity.
Education
Plain-language guides and workshops on patents, trademarks, and copyrights.
Intake & routing
Tell us about your idea; we help identify what kind of support may fit.
Mentoring
Conversations with people who've navigated IP and entrepreneurship.
Affordable options
Low-cost services where available, subject to capacity.
Needs-based support
Funding assistance for qualifying inventors, when resources allow.
Referrals
Connections to programs like USPTO Patent Pro Bono when appropriate.
How it works
Three steps. No jargon.
Learn
Take the IP Readiness Checker or browse the Education Hub.
Apply
Share your situation through our intake form for review and routing.
Get connected
Our team follows up with educational next steps — supportive, not intimidating.
Submitting an application does not create an attorney-client relationship or guarantee services or funding.
Who we help
Built for people who ask, “Where do I even start?”
You don't need a polished prototype or a law degree. You need a place to learn and take a first step.
- Solo inventors & first-timers
- Underrepresented communities in IP
- Small business owners
- Community entrepreneurs
- Students & young innovators
- Anyone before they can afford full legal help
Impact
Early days. Real mission.
Founded in 2024 by patent professionals. Accepted into Social Enterprise Greenhouse's 2025 Impact Accelerator.
2024
Founded to close the IP access gap
SEG '25
Impact Accelerator cohort
Growing
Partnerships & inventor support expanding
News
Latest from Community IP
Program updates, partnerships, and stories from our work to expand IP access.
Community IP awarded microgrant from Social Enterprise Greenhouse
Community IP received a microgrant from Social Enterprise Greenhouse for entrepreneurs with a social-impact focus.
Read moreCommunity IP Accepted to Social Enterprise Greenhouse (SEG)'s 2025 Accelerator
Community IP joined SEG's 2025 Spring Accelerator Program to grow impact for underserved inventors.
Read moreLost Einsteins: It's Not Enough to Be Smart
Access and exposure matter as much as talent — why Community IP exists to close the IP gap.
Read moreGet involved
Strengthen IP access with us
Inventors
Take the readiness checker or apply for help to learn what IP support may fit your situation.
Check readiness →Volunteers
Attorneys, agents, law students, and mentors can lend expertise to underserved inventors.
Volunteer with us →Partners
Universities, incubators, and community orgs can co-host events and refer inventors.
Become a partner →Donors
Support education workshops, mentoring access, and needs-based IP programs.
Support our mission →Not sure what you need yet? That's okay.
Start with a question. We'll help you find a sensible next step — education first, always.
Educational information and intake support only. Not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by using this site.