People
who
CHANGE
the
world
one idea at a time
By Zenitha Prince compete with a lot of things out there. It’s not easy.”
There are nearly 4,000 patents held by countless inventors in
There are people who walk among us; special people, who see the tri-state area. In this issue of Trends, we introduce three of
beyond what is to what can be; who dare to defy the evidence of them, both established and the aspiring.
their outer eye and peer fearlessly with their hearts into the realm
of possibility.
It is not easy to recognize them—they look like any one of us— EMMETT CHAPPELLE
they are scientists, school teachers, mechanics, and housewives
and their ideas range from profound scientific breakthroughs to
Retired NASA scientist
the simplest of instruments, but they all share one
common trait.
Since he was a boy, Emmett Chappelle
“An inventor is someone who sees some way
was always inextricably drawn to the
of improving the world,” said Glen Kotapish,
mysteries of life.
president of the Inventors’ Network
“I think that fascination has
of the Capital Area.
always been with me. I’ve
Successful inventors share
always wondered
another trait.
about how things
“Those who are successful
work, what was
are persistent,” Kotapish said.
behind things,”
“It can be very difficult. Even
he reminisced
when you think about get-
from the comfort
ting your invention
of an armchair
on the shelves,
you have
Continued on
to
Page 7
Photo by John Moore
Emmett Chappelle is considered one of the top 100 African-American inventors in the United States.
6 Trends A publication of the Afro-American Newspapers
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