Meeting Handout – June 4, 2016

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Speaker – Mike Letsky – Will It Sell?

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Speaker:Mike Letsky
Date:  June 4, 2016

Subject:  Will It Sell?

Mike-Linsky-speakerThis is the very first question every inventor should be asking themselves as soon as the glow of wonderment has subsided from the realization that you have just created The most ingenious invention the world has ever known. As you float back to reality, specific questions should be flooding your brain; who are the end users, who are the buyers, how much better is this than the product they are using now, how will you get it to market, what is the probable profit you expect to make?

This last question determines how much you should spend on IP Protection (patents, copyrights, trademarks), development and marketing. For example, if this is a handy little product for a niche market that may bring in, at most $10,000.00 a month through some website or commercial site like Amazon, you may not even need a patent because the cost of litigation to defend it would be completely out of budget.

On the other hand, if you have discovered a disruptive technology that has the potential to change an industry then you will need to attract some heavy hitters onto you team because you Will need the biggest and baddest bullies in the school yard to protect your property from all the would be infringers.

Mike Letsky of Letsky Innovations www.letskyinnovations.com fully understands every facet of bringing a product to market. His company does it all, from engineering and prototyping to product testing and short run production.

mike-linsky-contact-infoThe experience he got working for some spectacular companies (like NASA) gives Mike a different perspective then most engineering companies. Right from the start, he focuses on profit and he is going to show us how to determine what the profit of our product should be along with how to achieve that goal.

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Media Coverage – 2016

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Past Speaker – Cara Morris – Patent Lawyer – 05-07-16

Cara Morris, Patent Attorney

Cara Morris

Do You Have An Invention?

Cara Morris Patent LawyerI can’t tell you how many times I have sat down with inventors who may have a great idea for an invention but absolutely no idea of how to reduce it to practice or for that matter, what “Reduce It To Practice” means. In essence, this is a detailed description that explains what the invention is, how it works and how a person versed in the art could make and use it.

According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, if your idea has not been Reduced To Practice, you don’t have an Invention. Period!

Many of the patent attorneys and agents that I have spoken with, bemoan the fact that they literally have to drag this type of information out of the inventors they work with, sometimes losing very valuable key elements in the process just because the inventor doesn’t know what to say, but who can we turn to, to learn this very complicated, technical skill?

Cara C. Morris, Esq. is a licensed patent attorney with over 24 years of highly diversified legal experience in the areas of intellectual property, commercial law and litigation. Ms. Morris has a background in Chemistry and life sciences as well as a broad sector of technologies. She is a founding member of Nationwide Patents and a Certified E-Discovery Specialist.

You Will be impressed if you check out her website www.nationwidepatents.us, but I can tell you, Cara is very down to earth as well as surprisingly mechanical. So no matter how simple or technical your idea is, she can show you how develop this vital skill that turns your ideas into patentable inventions.

Cara Morris, Patent AttorneyAlthough she will be focusing on what makes an invention patentable, her presentation will also include topics such as how to communicate with your patent professional, why you will be rejected and how the patent process works.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn what an invention really is and if you indeed have one. Make sure you come to LIGI Tool & Engineering, Inc. (3220 SW 15th Street Deerfield Beach, FL 33442) at 1:00 pm on Saturday 5/7/16. This meeting is hosted by the Inventors Society of South Florida, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit educational organization.

For more information go to our website www.inventorssociety.net call or 561-676-5677.

Meeting Handout from May 7, 2016

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Past Speaker – Gary R. Gronga – Inventor of the Clipeze

Gary Bronga, Inventor

He Made Millions! U Can 2

Gary Bronga, InventorGary R. Bronga is a man who did just that. In 1995, with his computer and $500.00 in the smallest bedroom in his home, he started a journey that lead him to a 3000 foot commercial office space after selling over 3 Million Clipeze.

What’s a Clipeze? It’s a decorative lapel pin with a small square opening near the bottom that forms a bar to accommodate the common bulldog metal clip on identification badges. If you go to his website www.clipeze.com you will see a wide variety of fun ways to accessorize your identification badge. He also has matching earrings, bracelets, lanyards and more.

Even though the product is a winner, it wasn’t an overnight success. Mr. Bronga says he had enough rejection letters to wallpaper his home office. When he started he knew nothing about bringing a product to market. He knew very little about business in general But He Learned.

Now he shares his wealth of knowledge in a book titled, “Bringing a Product to Market From Your Home (With $500 and an Idea You Can Make Millions)” which he will be signing and selling at the meeting.

Over the years, I have read dozens of books regarding inventing, business and marketing. Obviously, Gary read many of the same books and more but has consolidated all of that information in a simple to read, “all in one source” that should be in every independent inventors collection.

One of the things that sets his book apart from all the others is, it exudes the passion he has for being his own boss. That passion is from the rightly deserved pride he has, in the fact that he did it all himself including 5 issued patents that he did Pro Se.

A true entrepreneur, Gary cannot just rest on his success. In his latest endeavor, he is working with the Florida Business Exchange which is a full service business and commercial brokerage firm specializing in, Business Sales, Mergers and Acquisitions, Business Valuations, Acquisition Searches, Counseling for Buyers and Sellers, Divestitures, New and Resale Franchises as well as International Investment Visas. I am sure he will touch on this experience as well but you can check it out on his website http://www.garybronga.com/ .

After Gary spoke to us in 2014, many of our members told me that he was one of the best speakers we ever had. No doubt, many of those who have heard him before will want to come to hear about his latest escapades in the world of inventing and business.

So come early, we are expecting a full house.   

Meeting Handout

  

 

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Past Speaker – Don Kelly – Patent Agent

 

Champion of the Independent Inventor

 

Don-KellyDon Kelly has devoted his life to the advancement of small business and the independent inventors who he regards as the backbone of American Ingenuity. Without him, the USPTO and the world in general would still consider us a bunch of useless dreamers.

Don enjoyed a successful career with the US Patent and Trademark Office.  With an engineering degree from VA Tech University, he received a Federal appointment as a Patent Examiner, progressing to Supervisory Patent Examiner and Technology Center Director. He served as Chief of Staff to the US Patent Commissioner and was inducted into the ranks of the elite Senior Executive Service.

Chasing his own dream, Don Kelly emerged as founding director of the USPTO’s popular outreach programs in support of independent inventors, scheduling outreach conferences, co-founding the United Inventors Association (UIA), nurturing development of regional inventor associations, creating inventor-focused  pages of the USPTO website, fostering inclusion of independent inventor perspectives in USPTO policy making, establishing operational guidelines for monitoring and reporting “bad actors” among invention promotion firms.

He is the founding principal of Intellectual Asset Management Associates, LLC (IAMA) – – an intellectual property law practice and invention commercialization consultancy which is based in Alexandria, VA and Sarasota, FL.  www.patentagentplus.com  He is registered to practice law as Patent Agent and credentialed as a Certified Licensing Professional. To read more about this incredible man click here.

Mr. Kelly will be sharing the most important  advice he’s ever offered to inventors across the country…and the most valuable advice successful inventors have given him.  Don’s counting on the lively Q&A he’s always enjoyed with ISSF.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to meet our Champion of the Independent Inventor at LIGI Tool & Engineering, Inc. (3220 SW 15th Street Deerfield Beach, Fl  33442) at 1:00 pm on Saturday 2/6/16, hosted by the Inventors Society of South Florida a 501 (C) 3 non-profit educational organization.  

For more information go to our website www.inventorssociety.net or call 561-676-5677.

 

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Past Speaker – Freddy Lee – Master of the Prototype

Master of the DIY Prototype

You’re sitting there watching some late night rerun when suddenly, out of the blue, the greatest idea you ever had for an invention hits you like a lightning bolt. You run into the garage and cobble together a bunch of junk that you have lying around and Voila… there it is! If it actually works, its’ even better than Ssssss…some ice cream or something like that.

Inventors who are handy have this experience multiple times. Being handy helps but if you are an inventor, you Are creative and that’s all you need along with a little guidance.

Freddy Lee, in my mind, is the Master of the Do It Yourself Prototype. I have personally seen him create things that look like a shelf ready sample product that were actually nothing more than painted cardboard or a combination of unrelated materials. I recently reviewed a video interview of Freddy from a past EXPO where the commentator wanted to take Freddy’s “Back Pack Scooter” for a spin and was not taking no for an answer.

Freddy has an uncanny way of dissecting a product that may just be a concept and then envisioning a way to build it with readily available materials. He will not only be sharing his gift with you, he will be giving you insights into how you can do this yourself.

A talent like this comes from a lifetime of experience and study. Mr. Lee is also an Architect and is well versed in his profession. So he is both an trained artist and an engineer.     

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a Master, how you too, can build your own prototypes and make your dreams a reality that you can hold in your hand.

Save the date and make sure you come to LIGI Tool & Engineering, Inc. (3220 SW 15th Street Deerfield Beach, Fl  33442) at 1:00 pm on Saturday 3/5/16. This meeting is hosted by the Inventors Society of South Florida, a 501 (C) 3 non-profit educational organization.  

For more information go to our website www.inventorssociety.net or call 561-676-5677.

To Invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. -Thomas Edison.

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Past Speaker – Jacqueline Whitmor – How to Turn Contacts Into Contracts

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Presenter:  Jacqueline Whitmor

Topic:  First & Lasting Impressions:
How to Turn Contacts Into Contracts

Jacqueline-whitmor-issf-speakerCompetition in the business arena is fierce and companies are looking for men and women who can handle themselves at a trade show as well as in the boardroom.

You’ll learn practical ideas and strategies that will help you present a more professional image as well as enable you to build solid relationships and move with ease and confidence on any level in the business arena. Topics include:

  • Introducing Yourself and Others
  • Cocktail Party Dos and Don’ts
  • Networking Made Easy
  • How to Remember Names
  • How to Talk to Just About Anyone
  • Ways to Stand Out and Follow Up.

Jacqueline Whitmore is the internationally-renowned Etiquette Expert. For more than a decade she has provided communication and leadership training programs, keynotes, and executive coaching to Fortune 500 companies, universities, and associations. So chances are, the person you need to impress is already on the same page having gone though this training.

Jacqueline is the author of Poised for Success: Mastering the Qualities That Distinguish Outstanding Professionals (St. Martin’s Press, Nov. 2011) and Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work (St. Martin’s Press, 2005), which is currently in its 13th printing and has been translated into four languages. She has appeared on a variety of national television shows including ABC’s 20/20, FOX News, FOX & Friends, CNN, HLN, CNBC, as well as others and is a frequent guest on national and international radio talk shows and has appeared on National Public Radio’s Motley Fool and Marketplace.

Jacqueline has been featured or quoted in hundreds of national and international newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Financial Times, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Time and O: The Oprah Magazine, among others. She is a regular contributor to Entrepreneur.com and The Huffington Post.

Below is a link to a handout from Ms. Whitmor’s presentation on 04/02/16:

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7th Annual Cade Museum Prize Is Looking for Applicants

"7th Annual Cade Museum Prize Is Looking for Applicants"As part of our “service” to our audience, from time to time we share valuable resources and events that may be of interest to you. Here is an event that if you qualify, could make a big difference in your journey as an inventor. It is:

The Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention and they are inviting people to submit applications for the 7th Annual $50,000 Cade Museum Prize competition. The Cade Museum Prize for Innovation, open to all Florida residents and Florida-based companies, awards $50,000 in cash and in-kind incentives to researchers, entrepreneurs and early-stage companies for taking creative ideas to market. Judges will apply the following criteria: 1) How innovative is the idea?  2) What is the potential impact if the idea becomes successful?  and 3) Does the idea have market credibility?

The following are important dates in the award process:

January 1 -January 31        Applicants submit entries online via SkildDeadline: 1/31/16.

March 1                            Sweet 16 finalists are announced.

March 28                          Final 4 semi-finalists are announced.

April 30                            Final 4 teams make pitches to a panel of  judges and an enthusiastic audience at the Inventivity Bash in Gainesville. The winner is announced onstage.

You can learn more about the Cade Museum Prize here, along with updates and more details on timelines, Frequently Asked Questions as well as a list of past winners and finalists.

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Past Speaker – LuAnn Puet – Licensing – How to Approach Companies

LuAnnPuett - Licensing Agent

LuAnnPuett - Licensing Agent

LUANNE PUETT,  PRESIDENT OF MAKERSMODEL.COM

Honesty, integrity, transparnecy.  Lu Anne Puett attended FAU and finished her studies in corporate management and marketing.  She has owned a product research and development company, started her own marketing consulting company to help other inventors in 1995, and has worked with clients taking idea to retailer, big-wigs like Target, Walmart, QVC, HSN, Lowes, Winn Dixie, 7-Eleven, Zappos, Bed and Bath, and many more.

She has licensed products from automotive to health and beauty, from drive trains to scoring a max value in a $4.1 million down payment, $27 million dollar pantyhose licensing deal. Working with companies manufacturing products both domestically and abroad, Lu Anne knows what it means to efficiently prove concept and tee up full scale production.

Lu Anne’s greatest gift is her ability to evaluate a product while reducing risk. This allows an inventor or company to take a product from concept to retail for minimum investment. But her greatest passion is helping inventors and entrepreneurs, her strong ambitions surpassed only by her sincerity. She currently is a mentor at the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, speaks regularly, and has authored the book The Art of Dreaming Big.

Other successful products/deals: Kuviez Sheets into JCPenny, Bed, Bath, and Beyond and more, tool to Snap On, baby bottle with removalbe pacifier, alarmed handcuff, and a gas cap. As well as Pair Me launching in childrens’ stores and Zappos, and a window solution launching in auto parts stores.Part 1:

Part 2:

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