Press release
Avangrid Foundation Supports the Henry Ford’s 2026 Invention Convention
Pictured: Pablo Colón, Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Avangrid Foundation, presents students with Environmental and Sustainability Award
Orange, CT — July 22, 2026 — The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading energy company Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, sponsored The Henry Ford’s nationally recognized 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals with a $50,000 grant. The 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals took place June 3–5 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, bringing together top student inventors from across the country to showcase solutions addressing issues such as sustainability, energy efficiency, public health, and accessibility.
“Avangrid is proud to invest in the next generation of innovators who are already reimagining solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges”, said Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda. “Programs like the Invention Convention foster creativity, problem-solving, and a passion for sustainability, skills that are essential to shaping the nation’s energy future.”
“It was truly inspiring to see the level of creativity, passion, and ingenuity students brought to the Invention Convention,” said Pablo Colón, Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Avangrid Foundation. “We’re especially proud to recognize this year’s Environmental and Sustainability Award winners, whose ‘Fog Tiles’ invention is a powerful example of how innovative thinking can drive transformative solutions.”
The Avangrid Foundation presented the Environmental and Sustainability Award to Texas 10th grade inventors Kathleen K. and Colin R. for their invention “Fog Tiles”-an affordable system inspired by the Namib Desert beetle that captures moisture from fog using a combination of water attracting and water repelling materials. The collected moisture is converted into clean, sustainable drinking water, providing an innovative solution for arid environments.
The Henry Ford’s Invention Convention program reaches more than 305,000 K–12 students and 18,000 educators annually across 33 states and territories. Through a free, project-based curriculum aligned with the seven steps of the invention process, students identify problems in their communities and develop original solutions, building critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills along the way.
“We are grateful to the Avangrid Foundation for its generous support of Invention Convention and its commitment to inspiring the next generation of innovators,” said Carolyn Ward, Senior Director, Invention Convention Worldwide at The Henry Ford. “Because of partners like Avangrid Foundation, students from across the country have the opportunity to bring their ideas forward, build confidence in their creativity and problem-solving skills, and see themselves as inventors capable of shaping a better future.”
Media Contact
For media inquiries, email: corporatecommunications@avangrid.com
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has corporate offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Oregon, and operations across 25 states with approximately $50 billion in assets. Avangrid owns and operates seven electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. It also owns and operates nearly 100 energy generation facilities across the United States with a capacity of more than 11 Gigawatts, enough to power over 3 million homes. Avangrid employs approximately 8,500 people and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2026 for the eighth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the Iberdrola Group.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
Press Releases
07/23/2026
Avangrid Foundation Supports the Henry Ford’s 2026 Invention Convention
Avangrid Foundation Supports the Henry Ford’s 2026 Invention Convention
Pictured: Pablo Colón, Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Avangrid Foundation, presents students with Environmental and Sustainability Award
Orange, CT — July 22, 2026 — The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading energy company Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, sponsored The Henry Ford’s nationally recognized 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals with a $50,000 grant. The 2026 Invention Convention U.S. Nationals took place June 3–5 at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan, bringing together top student inventors from across the country to showcase solutions addressing issues such as sustainability, energy efficiency, public health, and accessibility.
“Avangrid is proud to invest in the next generation of innovators who are already reimagining solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges”, said Avangrid CEO Jose Antonio Miranda. “Programs like the Invention Convention foster creativity, problem-solving, and a passion for sustainability, skills that are essential to shaping the nation’s energy future.”
“It was truly inspiring to see the level of creativity, passion, and ingenuity students brought to the Invention Convention,” said Pablo Colón, Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Avangrid Foundation. “We’re especially proud to recognize this year’s Environmental and Sustainability Award winners, whose ‘Fog Tiles’ invention is a powerful example of how innovative thinking can drive transformative solutions.”
The Avangrid Foundation presented the Environmental and Sustainability Award to Texas 10th grade inventors Kathleen K. and Colin R. for their invention “Fog Tiles”-an affordable system inspired by the Namib Desert beetle that captures moisture from fog using a combination of water attracting and water repelling materials. The collected moisture is converted into clean, sustainable drinking water, providing an innovative solution for arid environments.
The Henry Ford’s Invention Convention program reaches more than 305,000 K–12 students and 18,000 educators annually across 33 states and territories. Through a free, project-based curriculum aligned with the seven steps of the invention process, students identify problems in their communities and develop original solutions, building critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills along the way.
“We are grateful to the Avangrid Foundation for its generous support of Invention Convention and its commitment to inspiring the next generation of innovators,” said Carolyn Ward, Senior Director, Invention Convention Worldwide at The Henry Ford. “Because of partners like Avangrid Foundation, students from across the country have the opportunity to bring their ideas forward, build confidence in their creativity and problem-solving skills, and see themselves as inventors capable of shaping a better future.”
Media Contact
For media inquiries, email: corporatecommunications@avangrid.com
About Avangrid: Avangrid, Inc. is a leading energy company in the United States working to meet the growing demand for energy for homes and businesses across the nation through service, innovation, and continued investments by expanding grid infrastructure and energy generation projects. Avangrid has corporate offices in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, Maine, and Oregon, and operations across 25 states with approximately $50 billion in assets. Avangrid owns and operates seven electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.4 million customers in New York and New England. It also owns and operates nearly 100 energy generation facilities across the United States with a capacity of more than 11 Gigawatts, enough to power over 3 million homes. Avangrid employs approximately 8,500 people and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2026 for the eighth consecutive year by the Ethisphere Institute. Avangrid is a member of the Iberdrola Group.
About Iberdrola: Iberdrola is one of the world's biggest energy companies and a leader in renewables, spearheading the energy transition to a low carbon economy. The group supplies energy to almost 100 million people in dozens of countries. With a focus on renewable energy, smart networks and smart solutions for customers, Iberdrola’s main markets include Europe (Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Germany, Italy and Greece), the United States, Brazil, Mexico and Australia. The company is also present in growth markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Ireland, Sweden and Poland, among others.
With a workforce of nearly 40,000 and assets in excess of €141.7 billion, across the world, Iberdrola helps to support 400,000 jobs across its supply chain, with annual procurement of €12.2 billion. A benchmark in the fight against climate change, Iberdrola has invested more than €130 billion over the past two decades to help build a sustainable energy model, based on sound environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles.
