Jackson Inventors Network

This month we are doing something different. The MiQuest is having the ACE16 event on Jan. 26, which is our planned meeting day. ACE16 is an event that all of our inventors should go to it is a source of help we can not provide for developing a new business or product.

The time for the event is from 12 noon to 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25

MiQuest ACE16 event is at the Westin Southfield, 1500 Towne Center Drive, Southfield, MI 48075

Lawrence Tech is sponsoring it this year which is another positive!

Michigan Inventors Coalition, Grand Rapids Inventors Network, & Jackson Inventors Network are offering a lotto to cover the cost for the first six people that need help the cover the event cost.

To apply for the entry fee send an email to johndhopkins1@gmail.com

This month, JIN welcomes Matt Stoner and Jeff Weed to share their entrepreneurial story and their journey. Stoner and Weed are not your typical inventors, and neither had prior experience in food creation. Nevertheless, over the past year, they have collaboratively developed and launched a tasty new paradigm in the frozen-dessert category: “Goodphoria.”

What led them to create a new food? How did they conduct R&D? What hurdles did they face and how did they overcome them? How are they marketing their product? What’s next for them and their emerging new business? We hope you are able to join the many other inventors and entrepreneurs of the JIN community for this month’s insightful presentation.

Program Agenda

6:00-6:30 pm Registration
6:30-7:30 pm Program
7:30-8:30 pm Networking

Location:
 Jackson Maker Space, 543 E. Washington Ave. Jackson, MI 49203

Directions:
 From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn East on E. Washington (@ Comtronics bldg.) Go ~1/8 mi. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.
 From E. Michigan Ave.: Turn South on S. East Ave. (@ Allegiance Hospital). Go ~1/4 mi. to E. Washington. Take E. Washington West ~400 ft. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

How one Jackson-area business analyzes how/if to invest in new products, inventions, and other businesses

David Shirkey

The ambition of some inventors is to let an established, reputable company take their product idea to market. But may come as a surprise to some naïve inventors, but the world is not likely to beat a path to your door even if you invent the next-generation mousetrap. (Those who do come knocking are more likely than not to be disreputable.) In reality, every inventor aspiring to partner with an honest company needs to be able convince the company their innovative idea is worth the risk and effort needed to take it to market.

This month, JIN is honored to have David Shirkey as our featured speaker. Sharkey is the CFO at Orbitform, a Jackson manufacturer of assembly and fastening machines at its Oct. 27 meeting. Among his various roles, he is responsible for analyzing how/if the company should invest in new products, ideas, and new business opportunities.

Program Agenda

6:00-6:30 pm Registration
6:30-7:30 pm Program
7:30-8:30 pm Networking

Location

Jackson Maker Space
543 E. Washington Ave.
Jackson, MI 49203

Directions

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn East on E. Washington (@ Comtronics bldg.) Go ~1/8 mi. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

From E. Michigan Ave.: Turn South on S. East Ave. (@ Allegiance Hospital). Go ~1/4 mi. to E. Washington. Take E. Washington West ~400 ft. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

Handicap Accessible.

Cost

Members*: $45 Annual membership (Details here)
Non-Members: $5 at the door

Amy Cosper, editor-in-chief, Entrepreneur magazine

Spring Arbor University is hosting the editor of “Entrepreneur” magazine, Amy Cosper on Wednesday, Sept. 30, from 11:30 a.m. – 1:15 p.m., at the Ralph Carey Forum, on the main Spring Arbor University campus. This is a unique opportunity to hear one of the most prominent voices in the world on the topic of entrepreneurship. She was named one of Fast Company’s “25 Smartest Women on Twitter”, and has not only been reporting and commenting on the world of entrepreneurship, but has also been shaping it through the pages of a magazine that is the most respected resource in its field.

The cost to attend is $35 per person. $20 for SAU Corporate Partners. Please RSVP by Sept. 21, 2015.

For more information or to register for this special event, please visit arbor.edu/Cosper, contact Sherry.Keeler@arbor.edu or call (517) 750.6396.

Inventing is not for the faint of heart. Trying to complete an invention and make money from it is tiring work. Have you ever felt so drained you aren’t sure you have the energy to see your invention through to the end?

The Jackson Inventors’ Network will be discussing the “One-Man-Band” Syndrome at its next meeting.

How can an inventor achieve his/her dreams without running themselves into the ground?

We are going to try something a little different this month. Instead of inviting a local expert to speak with us, we will be watching a 30-minute presentation from The Entrepreneur’s Toolkit, one of a 24-part lecture series offered by The Great Courses program. The video features Ball State professor Michael G. Goldsby, who is Stoops Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and Executive Director. After the video presentation, there will be a group discussion about the issue of Entrepreneurial Exhaustion.

We hope you will join us on Aug. 25, and come prepared to share with the group your exhaustion experiences … and more importantly techniques you have learned to protect your health, your sanity and your loved ones from this inevitable tribulation.

Program Agenda

6:00-6:30 pm Registration
6:30-7:30 pm Program
7:30-8:30 pm Networking

Location

Jackson Maker Space
543 E. Washington Ave.
Jackson, MI 49203

Directions

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn East on E. Washington (@ Comtronics bldg.) Go ~1/8 mi. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

Handicap Accessible.

Cost

Members*: $45 Annual membership (Details here)
Non-Members: $5 at the door

Michigan Inventors Coalition

Come to the Michigan Inventors Expo where inventors can collaborate and network with other professionals from across the state. We are going to have speakers, break-out sessions and a “Shark Tank”-like competition call “Spin, Pitch and Sell.” Click here for the schedule.

Michigan Inventors Expo 2015 Schedule 0.00 KB

Michigan Inventors Expo 2015

Thursday, Sept, 10, 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(Registration at 8:30).
Where: Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, 219 South Harrison Rd., East Lansing, MI

JIN members can attend the whole day event for only $10 (a $10 discount) if you register now “Early Bird” Click to register.

The Spin, Pitch & SELL Competition

The Spin, Pitch & SELL competition will be one of the main events at the MIC Inventors Expo. Everyone is welcome to submit their invention ideas. But only four inventions will make it into our Shark Tank-inspired competition and have a chance of walking out with a deal.

Event Booths

If you are a professional or an inventor looking for exposure at the event you can a rent booth at the Expo.

Professional Services Booth = $100 includes admission .

Inventors Table $40 = includes admission and enters you in the Spin pitch and Sell competition

Attend Learning Sessions: Seven break-out learning sessions by experts in their field.

Be a Business Sponsor : Click here to be a sponsor See the attached flyer and sign up before Aug. 25 to get your logo in the program.

Michigan Inventor Expo Sponsor Flyer 1.36 MB

Download

Jackson attorney James B. Fleming talks business law to the Jackson Inventors Network

Many thanks to tonight’s speaker, James Fleming, of Jackson-area law firm, Fleming and Fleming PC. He described the various business entities of interest to inventors, plus discussed the growing trend of crowdfunding. It was a lively meeting!

James B. Fleming

The Jackson Inventors’ Network will feature local legal expert James B. (“Jim”) Fleming as the special guest speaker for July’s monthly meeting, July 28. Fleming brings a wealth of experience and knowledge relevant to inventors and entrepreneurs.

Should I incorporate? LLC or S-Corp?
How dangerous is it to use on-line legal forms?
What do I need to know about selling equity to raise capital?

How much does it cost to hire a business lawyer?Come prepared to learn answers to these and other start-up type legal questions from a local legal professional.James B. Fleming graduated from Albion College in 1986 and received his law degree in 1989 from the UofD School of Law. Jim concentrates on Civil Litigation, Corporate Law, Commercial Litigation, Real Estate and Personal Injury. He has handled thousands of cases, many of them involving difficult and complex issues at the district and circuit court levels.

Program Agenda

6:00-6:30 pm Registration
6:30-7:30 pm Program
7:30-8:30 pm Networking

Location

Jackson Maker Space
543 E. Washington Ave.
Jackson, MI 49203

Directions

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn East on E. Washington (@ Comtronics bldg.) Go ~1/8 mi. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

Handicap Accessible.

Cost

Members*: $45 Annual membership (Details here)
Non-Members: $5 at the door

We have one of our Jackson Inventors Network inventors going for an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds to launch his product. We have done a lot to educate our inventors about crowd funding and Alex Walacavage is doing it!

To support his campaign and protect your life if bird flu crosses to humans, you will want to have this protection. It is in the Indiegogo website under Face Mask and/or Proreactive.

Arthur DiBlassio is president/CEO of Emerging Enterprises

The Jackson Inventors Network (JIN) will feature Arthur R. Di Blassio, CEO, Emerging Enterprises, at its June 23 meeting, with challenging questions to leaders of any key effort: Who are we? Where are we Going? How do we get there?

Every organization has a “direction”, but very few have a concise description of it, that easily and uniformly translates to operations within the team, to affect their daily activities. Or to communicate to the outside world for that matter.

The JIN Leadership Team will help demonstrate how easy it is to run with our heads down, but perhaps not with all heads looking in the same Direction, or to even use the same ‘words’ in the same way to describe that ‘Direction’; with all those overworked/undefined Goals, Plans, Strategy, Mission, etc.

Di Blassio’s cross-function business and consulting experience in a mix of 10-plus organizations from start-ups to large companies helped define the one-page Your Next Direction Master Template and the LeaderSolitare game to learn it.

Program Agenda

6:00-6:30 pm Registration
6:30-7:30 pm Program
7:30-8:30 pm Networking

Location

Jackson Maker Space
543 E. Washington Ave.
Jackson, MI 49203

Directions

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn East on E. Washington (@ Comtronics bldg.) Go ~1/8 mi. to Park Pl. Turn South on Park Pl. and park in rear of building.

Handicap Accessible.

Cost

Members*: $45 Annual membership (Details here)
Non-Members: $5 at the door

Big change for January meeting

November meeting topic: Invention for “foodies”

Should We Give It A Shot?

How one Jackson-area business analyzes how/if to invest in new products, inventions, and other businesses

Program Agenda

Location

Directions

Cost

“Entrepreneur” magazine editor to speak at Spring Arbor

August JIN meeting topic is “Entrepreneurial Exhaustion”

Program Agenda

Location

Directions

Cost

Michigan Inventors Expo is Sept. 10 in East Lansing

Jackson attorney James Fleming discusses business law to inventors

July JIN meeting: Legal Insights for Start-Up Businesses

Program Agenda

Location

Directions

Cost

JIN member launches Indiegogo campaign for protective face mask

June JIN meeting: It’s All About Direction Management

Program Agenda

Location

Directions

Cost