Purpose & Why I Mentor Inventors

I started where many inventors find themselves today—alone, uncertain, and unsure of the next step.  In fact, when I started my journey as an inventor, I knew about inventions but nothing about patents or how to obtain one.

My early journey was filled with trial and error, costly mistakes, and valuable lessons that eventually led to four patented inventions and successful commercialization of three of the four.  Two of them I commercialized myself. 

Over the past 25+ years, I’ve evaluated more than 950 inventions from NASA, DoD, the FDA, universities, and the private sector. I’ve seen what works—and what doesn’t. That experience shaped my mission: to provide the expert guidance I once needed, helping inventors avoid common pitfalls and turn ideas into income.

I mentor inventors because I’ve been in your shoes. I know the whole journey and  struggle—and the potential and the success that can be achieved if the right next steps are taken.

Eric's Bio-

Eric McGill is known as The Inventors Mentor. He has over 25 years of experience as an inventor, senior scientist, and technology commercialization professional. His career includes roles with organizations like NASA, the U.S Army, and consulting for businesses and universities. Eric has a strong background in guiding inventors, patent strategy, product commercialization, licensing, and technology transfer consulting.

Eric co-founded NASA's Commercialization Training Camp where he designed its curriculum and was an instructor. Camp participated and learned to leverage NASA’s technology transfer process for entrepreneurial success by participating in a variety of sessions tailored to learning about commercialization and invention infusion.

Eric's practical experience includes having four patented inventions, three of which have been successfully commercialized. He has also taken two inventions from conception to startup to out-licensing and evaluated over 900 inventions across various industries.

His mentoring approach is grounded in real-world strategies, focusing on helping inventors avoid common pitfalls, navigate patenting processes, and monetize their ideas cost-effectively. His services are designed for inventors at all stages, whether they are unsure if they have an invention, need help with patent decisions, or are ready to commercialize their ideas.

Eric offers personalized mentoring and guidance, next-step working sessions on everything from idea validation before you invest in your invention, invention evaluation to funding preparation and commercialization strategies.