Kankakee Times

Chase Means is taking his Olivet Nazarene University education and running with it — or typing with it, anyway.

The entrepreneurial alumnus and patent attorney is now co-owner of a company dedicated to distributing LegalBoard, a keyboard customized for attorneys, the university announced recently.

The keyboard is unique in that it incorporates the terminology, document formats and symbols used exclusively by the legal profession.

“Working with inventions, I get to see new stuff on a weekly or monthly basis,” Chase said. “Each time, it’s almost like taking a new class. I get to learn about technology I didn’t know existed. And I realize how much thought goes into inventing.”

Chase, who graduated from Olivet with a bachelor’s in engineering, earned his law degree at the University of Illinois and now works for Foley & Lardner as a patent attorney.

He founded his company, Pro-Boards LLC,  with his friend Brian Potts. Potts invented the keyboard, while Chase adds patent and real-life experience. Chase set up the corporation and has helped oversee the development, troubleshooting and manufacturing of the keyboards.