Past Speakers

Rita Compton, a retail product sales expert, with multiple-years direct experience working with Inventors and helping them sell and/or license their products to Retailers and Marketers, will share with you how to increase your chances of success in selling your product. She will use the upcoming National Hardware Show as an example of how to reach and sell to potential buyers and licensors.

Click here to request a copy of the presentation. 

We Have 17 Presentations and are Now Full!  Join us for an exciting night !

A select handful of applicants have been given the opportunity for November 20th (6:00 p.m.) to present their new product idea on the auditorium stage to Marc Portney and his team. If they see an idea that they like, they may license it (much like Lambert and Lambert) and produce the product themselves or will give presenters valuable feedback to help improve the product.  Additionally, Marc will open with a session for all attendees on how to have a conversation with deal makers about your idea. 

Marc has a reputation for delivering new and innovative products to the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and All-American Makers on The Science Channel. Getting a product on a national market such as HSN is a dream for most entrepreneurs, so this is your opportunity to expose your product to millions of customers looking to buy.

Come and Learn: Learn what Intellectual Property (IP) Protection is available to project what makes your invention unique.  Bill Berggren, former IP Attorney and 3M Engineer, will present key information you need to consider when applying for Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights and Trade Secrets

• WHAT these each protect and do not protect.
• WHEN to Obtain each and when is too late.  
• HOW is each is REVIEWED and APPROVED.
• WHAT is the Cost of each.
• WHAT You Need to Know About Recent Patent Law Changes

• WHY Use TRADEMARKS and COPYRIGHTS in IP
• WHY Use TRADE SECRETS in IP
• WHEN and HOW to use each of these
• HOW to Apply for TRADEMARKS, COPPYRIGHTS
• HOW to Establish and Protect IP for TRADE SECRETS

• Product Inventors
• New Product Innovators/Entrepreneurs
• New Business Startups

SPEAKER #1:  Ron Johansson

1. Ways to improve/develop your invention/idea
2. HOW to EVALUATE Your Idea BEFORE spending money
3. CRITERIA to EVALUATE to move ahead or set your ideas aside and work on other ideas
4. WHAT Actions to take before filing a Provisional Patent Application (PPA)
5. WHAT Actions to take before applying for Utility patent application

SPEAKER #2:  Atul Patel

COME AND LEARN:   Atul Patel, a product manager and former engineer who has handled licensing of numerous external inventor ideas, will share his experience  on the best ways inventors can present and approach companies with their licensing invention ideas.

LEARN:

1. HOW and WHY companies decide to license outside invention
2. HOW to make your initial and follow up contacts work better to improve your chances
3. HOW your idea will be evaluated and considered internally
4. WHY your invention will need to support a much higher retail price than you think: The COST Realities of manufacturers.
5. WHY even the best product ideas may never be produced through licensing

pd@investyr.com

January 16, 2019 Meeting

COME AND LEARN:   Small Business Owners and Biz Startups struggle to Pitch Products to Customers and Investors.  Learn what you need to WRITE smarter Product Sales and Funding Pitches

1. WHY Small Businesses and Startups fail to get Funding
2. HOW increase the odds of fundraising success
3. WHAT Investors and Customers are Looking For
4. HOW to Write Compelling Copy for Social Media and Investor Pitches

COME AND LEARN:  How to Create/Produce PRODUCT VIDEOS for Product Demos, Websites and Investor/Funding Pitches.  Get Professional/Expert Tips on how to make PROP/SHOOT with a SMARTPHONE.

1. HOW to Shoot Product Videos with a Smartphone
2. WHAT/HOW to Script
3. WHY/HOW to Edit
4. WHAT about Music/Audio

November 14, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Josh Malone, inventor of the enormously successful Bunch O Balloons, will share his amazing story of successes and obstacles on his journey to invention success. Having now sold over a billion balloons, Josh has achieved tremendous success. But to get there he had to overcome many roadblocks. – including the United State Patent Office.  Tonight he will share how he got there - the true process of fund raising, product development, licensing, and marketing a new product today. He will also share the hard realities of getting and defending a patent. Josh will share:

1. Creating and Developing His Invention
2. Running an Extraordinary Kick-Starter Campaign – Raising More than ONE MILLION DOLLARS
3. Solving Production Hurdles
4. Confronting Competitor Knock-Offs of His Product – Leading to Expensive Legal Battles
5. AND Overcoming the Ultimate Challenges of Defending His Invention with the United States Patent Office PATENT TRIAL APPEAL BOARD (PTAB)

This is a MUST hear story.  Josh’s true story is a reality check for inventors and product developers.  His story is not his alone but provides us invaluable insight to the challenges of property rights protection in today’s world.  Attend and become informed!

Request for Copy of Presentation >>

1. HOW to select potential Licensing companies for your product idea
2. WHAT you need to present your Product idea to Licensors
3. HOW Licensors evaluate your product idea
4. HOW to negotiate / WHAT to ask for
5. HOW InventRight can HELP

September 19, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Entrepreneur Andrew Kitzenberg has run 2 successful Kickstarter campaigns and 1 on Indiegogo. In this process, he has learned firsthand what works, what doesn’t, and what first-time fund raisers need to do to increase their chances of success.

1. HOW to make your campaign look polished and what you need to promote.
2. HOW to find potential supporters and what marketing strategies you need to convert them.
3. HOW to create images/video content that gives visitors a clear and compelling idea of your product and campaign.
4. WHAT you need for your PR strategy and your PR.
5. HOW to keep your campaign churning from start to finish. Most campaigns raise 1/3 of the funds in the first week and 1/3 of their funds in the last week.
6. WHAT you need to do to run a six-figure campaign.
7. WHAT the next steps are once you’ve successfully funded your campaign.

BONUS:

8. Andrew will also share What-You-Need-to-Know to do to get your product made overseas once you are funded.

• Deal or Dud? Learn to Spot the Next Big Product Idea
• Licensing Agreement Fundamentals
• Prototypes & Demo Videos That Sell Ideas “As Seen On TV”
• Understanding Distribution Channels for Consumer Products

    Learn how to pitch your product idea: See Live  ASOTV Inventor Competition:

• See 6-8 Inventors pitch their product idea
• Each Inventor has 5 minutes to sell ASOTV Expert Carrie Jeske that their invention has ASOTV potential
• Watch judges evaluate each product idea
• See who WINS the pitch competition

Additionally, you will learn the Carrie Jeske / Will It Launch FREE Inventor Program:

1. Get FREE Expert Panel Concept Assessment to Screen/Evaluate Concepts that Fit Will It Launch Model
2. If Accepted, Get FREE Market Research to validate market potential
3. If Selected/Approved, Will It Launch Pays ALL product development costs, that includes:

• Product Design/Tooling/Packaging/Manufacturing
• Product Marketing/Sell-In/Retail Distribution

May 16, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn:  Louis Foreman, a highly noted Speaker, successful Inventor and Company Founder. Current CEO of Edison Nation, dedicated to helping independent inventors develop and market their ideas.

Louis will show YOU:

1. WHY it’s EASY to Get Ideas
2. WHY it’s DIFFICULT to Make Money on Ideas
3. How to EVALUATE your IDEA
4. ACTION STEPS that will Put You on the SUCCESS PATH
5. FIVE QUESTIONS to Answer BEFORE You Start Spending Money
6. HOW to ANSWER Those 5 Questions on EVERY INVENTION!

wjohnson@hclib.org

April 18, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Learn about patenting your invention.  Learn about FREE local workshops and resources that provide patent expertise, information and database access that EVERY Inventor needs.  LEARN ABOUT:

MINNEAPOLIS CENTRAL LIBRARY (MCL)-PATENT TRADEMARK RESOURCE CENTER

• LEARN How you can Do Initial Online Patent Searches
• LEARN How to Use FREE MCL Patent/Trademark Data Bases
• LEARN About FREE Patent/Trademark Workshops Available at MCL

LEGAL CORPS

• LEARN How LegalCorps Helps Inventors
• LEARN About Free LegalCorps Legal Advice
• LEARN About Free LegalCorps Partners with MCL to Offer FREE Workshops
• LEARN How LegalCorps Can also Assign Patent Attorneys on a Means Qualified Basis

March 21, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Mort Harris, Certified Counselor and Past Chairman of SCORE will share how SCORE can help you understand the BUSINESS side of Inventing:

• How to EVALUATE your IDEA
  • How LARGE is the MARKET for your idea?
  • Can you make a PROFIT with your INVENTION?
  • How to Predict Costs / Forecast Sales and Find Manufacturers
  • Should you LICENSE or SELL yourself
  • How to get your product in front of SALESPEOPLE and retail (or B2B) BUYERS

• How SCORE can also provide you with Business Workshops, Webinars, Online Templates/Worksheets, Mentoring and Expert Evaluations to help INVENTORS and BUSINESS STARTUPS and BUSINESS OWNERS increase business skills, knowledge and insights.

deb@uiausa.org

February 21, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Deb Hess, with the United Inventors Association, and former MN Inventors Congress Director, will tap into her wealth of experience and expertise working with Inventors to share how you
can increase your odds of success. You will learn:

1. The KEY Steps to get your product to the Marketplace

2. HOW to Identify and Validate Key Resources that you will need

3. INVEST your Time and Money on WHAT is Absolutely Necessary to Succeed

January 17, 2018 Meeting

Come and Learn: Gary Braley, noted Speaker and Technology-Trend expert will present how New Evolving and Breakthrough Technologies/Trends will shape Invention opportunities for you.

1. NEW Money Exchange Systems Will REVOLUTIONIZE How Inventors SELL Their Products:

• New approaches will affect everyone from individuals to businesses and banks

• The evolution includes new ways to exchange money as well as new types of currency

2. NEW Internet of Things Connectivity Will Drive NEW TECHNOLOGY Applications FOR INVENTORS:

• New Connectivity technologies will finally connect electronic devices/products across categories and platforms

• Cybersecurity will become more critical due to the plethora of gadgets and the lack of security talent and awareness

3. BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY Will Change HOW INVENTORS Invent:

• A worldwide network of rapid and secure ledger transaction recording will do much more than manage Bitcoin

• Entire business models could be upended as major companies enter the fray

alan-beckley@msn.com

December 20, 2017 Meeting

Come and Learn: Alan Beckley, highly successful inventor of the Wonder Wallet will share HIS Not-So-Overnight Success Story. Alan will talk about how he overcame the problems and challenges that all Inventors face in developing and monetizing product ideas.

Learn how this HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL FIRST-TIME INVENTOR:

• Struggled to develop his idea while working as a telecom project manager
• Dealt with rejection after rejection to license his idea
• Pivoted to selling Savvy Caddy Wallets himself - anywhere and everywhere he could, at local/regional County fairs, Military bases, and VA hospitals. Eventually getting his product on QVC for 2 YEARS
• Finally Licensed the Savvy Caddy Wallet to Allstar Products – a very successful licensing, marketing and ASOTV company
• Renamed The Wonder Wallet, Alan’s product is now nationally distributed in over 10,000 retail stores, and also sold on HSN and online retail sites – With 1st Year sales of more than 1 Million Wallets!!

Plus, Alan will also share how he now helps other inventors to achieve success much more quickly than he did – with Blogs, Webinars, and Other Tools.

Come and Learn: Learn what you need to do to increase your success in filing for patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.

• What Patents/IP protect
• When Patents/IP are effective
• How Patents/IP are acquired
• How Patents/IP are defended
• Recent changes in Patents/IP laws/scope

Come and Learn: Learn what you need to do to increase your success in filing for patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets.

• What Patents/IP protect
• When Patents/IP are effective
• How Patents/IP are acquired
• How Patents/IP are defended
• Recent changes in Patents/IP laws/scope

david.fedewa@inventright.com

How to license your idea with Senior Licensing Coach & Chief Negotiator for InventRight.

scott.simenson@century.edu

August 16, 2017 Meeting

Come and Learn: Scott Simenson, Engineering & Fab Lab* Director at Century Community College, will share how you can use 3D Printing and other Digital Technologies to increase your ability to innovate product concepts and build prototypes. Scott will focus on how these tools can help you:

• Integrate new technologies, such as Simulation, AI, Robotics and Automation, into your inventions and innovations
• Build prototypes with greater speed/flexibility and lower cost with newer and faster 3D printing capacity - Especially at the FabLab
• Increase awareness of technology breakthroughs impacting manufacturing
• Leverage these technologies to expand “what is possible” to increase innovation success

Scott will present the case for why inventors and organizational leaders need to understand these new technologies. And how linking these information technologies with innovation and manufacturing can allow inventors to source components and products at lower costs and higher quality.

July 19, 2017 Meeting

Justin Grammens and Rodney Landers will share "The Landscape of IoT". The Internet of Things is not all about making everything connected - it's about making the RIGHT things connected. As an inventor you should be adding connectivity in to your product where it helps your customer.

The Speakers will cover the following:

• Some of the latest numbers on the number of devices that are expected to be connected in the next 3-5 years

• Decisions you should be considering around what is technically possible and what users will embrace

• It's not secret that the world is becoming more connected. From cellular, to BLE to LoRa, wireless standards are disrupting the current landscape and every inventor of products in the coming years will need to embrace technology changes as they occur

June 21, 2017 Meeting

Come and Learn: Rolf Biernath, Highly-Experienced 3M New Product Development Engineer and Scientist will share How and Why inventors need to leverage LEAN innovation principles in building and validating initial prototypes. He will also share how to design innovations to increase real value to the customer.

Key Topics:

•   HOW you can use LEAN in developing your innovations
•   WHY LEAN Prototypes vs Actual Mechanical Prototypes
•   HOW LEAN can help you find your most passionate customers
•   HOW LEAN lowers cost and speeds innovation
•   HOW LEAN Prototypes help you get user feedback

info@whiteboardps.com

May 17, 2017 Meeting

Come and Learn: Eric Polk, WhiteBoard Product Solutions, will share the process and methods the WhiteBoard team uses to select and create the right product concept that can be developed to succeed in the marketplace.  For more on WhiteBoard click: http://www.whiteboardps.com/ 

Come and Learn: Learn how to have your product concept manufactured in Asia, by experienced Asian manufacturing sourcing pro, Larry Mahoney. Larry will present/share what you need to know and what you need to have to be successful.

Come and Learn: Dan Baurceanu, Free-Lance Business Consultant, will share how to create a business plan that clearly lays out your assumptions, fixed/variable costs and margins. To help you maximize the profit of your New Product or New BizStartup.

Additionally, you will learn how to develop a business Startup plan for investors; How to increase investor interest and the potential for outside investor funding.

Key Topics Include:

•  BIZ Plan Overview/Considerations
•  Executive Summary
•  Product / Competitors
•  Marketing
•  Team - W2s/1099s
•  Financial Plan/Margins and Timelines
•  Potential Challenges/Obstacles/Risks
•  Key Success Metrics

Come and Learn: Learn how to sell and market your product online. Lindsay "Soko" Sokolowski, Founder of startup Boottique.com, will share how she started with just an idea and built her online e-Commerce business from one product to a full line of sophisticated shoe storage, closet-organizing, and fashion accessories and recently landed a contract with QVC.

Learn how to market online:

• Build an e-commerce website
• Establish a Facebook business page
• Sell your products on Amazon
• Select/Expand the product mix
• Build followers, traffic and product sales

September 20, 2016 Meeting

Come and Learn: Dick Fisher, Chief Social Officer at e-Merge Online Marketing, will share ways to use Social Media to create traction with customers, consumers and investors. How grow your business and find new customers using Social Media. And how to do it cost efficiently.  

Key Topics Include:

• What Social Media IS / What It ISN'T
• Why It's Important
• Why You Need It
• Understanding Basic Strategies
• Using Social Media Advertising
• Measuring Results 
• And more ...

Additionally, the event will be hosted by the JJ Hill Center, a nationally renowned research center focused on entrepreneurship.  You will a have a chance to learn about the resources that the JJ Hill Center has to offer entrepreneurs and inventors like you.

August 16, 2016 Meeting

Come and Learn: Learn how ten years of patent reform In Washington DC has weakened patent protection for inventors and emboldened multinational infringers. Inventor activist Paul Morinville will share what he and other inventor activists have done to stop further damage to inventor patent rights, and what you can do to help bring back strong patent rights - for you and all inventors who create the majority of American jobs.  

Learn:

• What Congress and the Courts have done to weaken patent rights
• Who is behind patent reform and why
• How Inventor Activists like Paul Morinville stopped patent reforms and are strengthening patent rights
• What inventors need to do to take our patents back

Come and Learn: Learn how to get your product invention from idea to market from serial expert consultant, Don Debelak. Learn tips and tools for: Product/Concept Evaluations, Prototyping, Patent Searches, Intellectual Property Protection, Identifying Target Markets; Market Introduction Plans, Sourcing Sales Reps, Sourcing Licensing Reps, and more... 

Learn How to:

•  Get your product idea to market
•  Protect your idea
•  Build prototypes
•  Sell or License your invention

June 21, 2016 Meeting

Come and Learn:  Get inventing tips and expertise from Serial Inventor, Bob Albertson. Hear real case studies. Learn about the processes Bob developed to invent new product ideas. With more than 250 patents, Bob has a wealth of experience and expertise to share. Come and learn from a proven successful inventor. In addition to answering your questions during the presentation, Bob will also stay afterwards to answer your specific questions and share more stories on his inventing experiences.

Learn How to:

• Create Ideas
• Build your prototypes
• Find what the customer is looking for
• Sell or License your invention

Come and Learn: How to apply for Patents, Trademarks and Copyrights - Direct from the source: The U.S. Patent Office. You will also learn about USPTO programs that can allow you to work without an attorney or have a volunteer attorney appointed by Legal Corp.  Speaker, Mindy Bickel (Associate Commissioner for Innovation Development), has over 25 years’ experience at U.S.P.T.O. with indepth Patent and Patent Application knowledge/expertise to share. 

Additionally, the event will be hosted by the JJ Hill Center, a nationally renowned research center focused on entrepreneurship.  You will a have a chance to learn about the resources that the JJ Hill Center has to offer entrepreneurs and inventors like you.

Come and Learn: Steps that are necessary to turn your idea into a business that can make money. Business model strategies that can jump start your business growth. FREE assistance that the University of St Thomas Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provides to startup businesses.  Learn How to:

• Increase sales
• Attract new/more customers
• Improve profitability

Also learn about other services/workshops available to you at the University St Thomas SBDC. Plus tips that expose myths on financing a new business.

February 16, 2016 Meeting

Come and Learn:  Why CAD files are as important as ever, no matter what kind of product you’re working on. CAD Files THE COMMON LANGUAGE between designers, engineers, prototypers, manufacturers, marketers, patent and copyright attorneys, packaging companies and everyone else in the product cycle.