Private Project

Pathways to Invention

Inventors and inventions are all around us proving that we all have the power in our minds and hands to shape the world. However, even the most accomplished makers and creators often hesitate to identify as "inventors." "Pathways to Invention" explores the workshops, garages, laboratories and offices of accomplished inventors in the fields of materials, software, hardware, biotech and agriculture with an eye toward understanding the tools and traits of both successful invention and entrepreneurship.

  • Levi C. Maaia
    Director
  • Noah G. Mark
    Producer
  • Levi C. Maaia
    Producer
  • David Moinina Sengeh
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Josh Siegel
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Corten Singer
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Tomás Vega
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Geoffrey von Maltzahn
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Noubar Afeyan
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Mercy Asiedu
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Paige Balcom
    Key Cast
    "Self"
    Shark Tank
  • Nicole Black
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Abraham Espinoza
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Katherine Jin
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Mira Moufarrej
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Matthew Rooda
    Key Cast
    "Self"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    260,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Levi C. Maaia

Levi earned a Ph.D. studying Maker culture and STEM education at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He serves on the education committee for a NASA-sponsored outreach program aboard the International Space Station and on the Santa Barbara Airport Commission.

He began his media career in FM radio, cable television and broadband where he became fascinated by the potential for technology to educate, and open a window on the world. Levi produced “A Beautiful Sound,” a PBS/WSBE documentary on the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School and hosted and produced “Intents & Purposes,” a weekly public affairs radio program on KCSB-FM focused on in-depth interviews with artists, researchers and scientists. He is the recipient of a Cablefax Top Op award for his executive leadership.

He is a private, instrument-rated, land and seaplane pilot serving on the Santa Barbara Airport Commission, a licensed amateur radio operator and avid photographer. He also tinkers with his 1966 Mustang to keep it running.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Like many of the inventors in this film, I have been following my passion since a young age. As a child, I enjoyed tinkering with my Dad's VHS camcorder, making stop-motion animations and live-action shorts. As a high school student before the age of YouTube, my friends and I developed a cable access program that aired in communities throughout my home state of Rhode Island.

I was always fascinated with television's ability to inform and entertain with an emphasis on informing. Earning an undergraduate degree in film and television and graduate degrees in journalism and education, I continued to explore how digital media could offer educational opportunities.

After producing a documentary on the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra and Music School which aired on PBS/WSBE in 2015, I became interested in the maker culture of Cuba. In 2018, I began developing my own documentary film concept for "Making It in Cuba" a project to highlight the ingenuity of Cuban makers who survive by keeping mechanical machines and electronic devices running despite the U.S. trade embargo and other severe economic challenges.

I began collaborating with my Boston University college mate Noah Mark on the project. We scouted in Cuba in January 2020 and assembled a sizzle reel (available upon request) that was optioned as a series by Anchor Entertainment.

Pandemic restrictions have made it impossible to complete "Making It in Cuba" but we are eternally grateful to the Lemelson-MIT Program for seeing our vision and allowing us to adapt the themes of perseverance that were solidified for us in Cuba to include the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize-winning inventors. We have adapted the stories of ingenuity, resilience and collaboration from "Making It in Cuba" into "Pathways to Invention."

Both Noah and I are committed to shepherding "Pathways to Invention" from inception through distribution. Our goal is to find a home for the film that will permit it to reach the largest audience of prospective young inventors. A major success would be for the film to be widely available through a distributor that is prepared to promote it to the proper demographic.

I have faced many challenges as a filmmaker over the past two years navigating the pandemic's impact on on-location documentary filmmaking. It was incredibly disappointing to have gained so much momentum with "Making It in Cuba" after a wildly successful crowdfunding campaign and having it optioned for distribution only to have that progress brought to a screeching halt in March 2020.

I remain optimistic that the success of "Pathways to Invention" will lead to the future opportunities to continue filmmaking work that is aligned with my mission of seeking and amplifying stories of innovative people doing extraordinary things.