Citizen Invention was founded by Dr. Ching-Fu Lan in Westport, CT, in 2015. As a seasoned qualitative researcher and educator with extensive experience working with K-12 and adult learners, Dr. Lan is passionate about design thinking—a human-centered approach that fosters creativity and empowers individuals to solve problems in innovative ways. Through workshops and courses, he has guided both learners and educators in applying design thinking to develop practical and impactful solutions.

Inspired by his interests in maker technologies, design thinking, and social education, Dr. Lan established Citizen Invention to explore the creative experiences of everyday invention. Since its inception, Citizen Invention has offered over one hundred Creative STEM courses, serving more than one thousand learners, and has been widely recognized for its engaging and impactful programs.

Dr. Lan was formerly an educator and researcher at EdLab, Columbia University. He was also a long-time contributor to New Learning Times, where he authored insightful commentaries, technology reviews, and research digests on the latest trends in education and technology. He holds an M.S. Ed from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.