Jackson Inventors Network

For March Prototype and Testing month, Melissa Allen, co-owner of tinkrLAB in the Okemos Mall, will discuss how inventors and entrepreneurs can take advantage of tinkrLAB and other makerspaces. Allen is a state expert and leader for STEM with a passion for kids. She has developed tinkrLAB into a place where Smart Toys for Smart Kids meets classes and training meets makerspace. She has taken tinkrLAB from a concept to a growing business and into a state-wide brand. tinkrLAB has gained attention on a national level. Come hear Melissa Allen talk about how partnerships and community helped bring success.

Meeting Agenda Location

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Registration Spring Arbor Jackson Campus

6:30-7:30 p.m. – Program 113 W. Michigan Ave

7:30-8:30 p.m. – Networking Jackson, MI 49201

Directions:

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn West on W. Louis Glick

(before RR tracks) Go 2 lights to N. Mechanic turn Left South two blocks to Michigan Ave. turn right & park next to building come in the side door go to 2^nd floor

From E. Michigan Ave.: Turn North on N. Mechanic (3 lights past train station). Go 2 blocks to W. Michigan Ave. turn right East on Michigan Ave & park next to building come in the side door go to 2^nd floor

Handicap Accessible. Meeting room take elevator to 2^nd fl

Stuart Kail

This month our topic is “Finding Help, Where’s the Money,” featuring entrepreneur Stuart Kail, chief marketing officer of Jackson’s own social-networking startup, Pitch.me. Pitch.Me has raised more than $3 million in private equity and was recently one of the Top Five Trending Apps on Google Play Store. Stuart will show us how to take advantage of this app and offer ways this local Jackson business can help us as entrepreneurs and inventors get each of our projects going.

Stuart Kail has been the Director of Operations for a successful Jackson family business. He has launched two tech start-ups, consulted for a $20-million pizza franchise, and launched his own marketing agency. As the Chief Marketing Officer for Pitch.Me, he is helping connect entrepreneurs with private equity. Don’t miss this month’s meeting!

After the speaker, we will talk about some of your projects, then we will have EXPERT CORNERS where you can identify people with expertise and have sit down one-on-one time to get help.

Email a request for a Product Review and get expert help to get your idea going. We will give you advice on any problem you might have with your inventor/idea/project. Don’t miss out this is help you can’t get anywhere else!

Send your membership dues $45.00 keeps you in the inner circle of one of the most significant inventor groups in the country.

Meeting Agenda Location

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Registration Jackson Carnegie Library

6:30-7:30 p.m. – Program 244 W. Michigan Ave

7:30-8:30 p.m. – Networking Jackson, MI 49201

Bill Rayl

This month our official walk thru the process speaker series for 2017. We are moving into PROGRAM TOPIC: Finding a Manufacturer to Work with, featuring Bill Rayl, President of the Jackson Area Manufacturing Association will help us steer through the maze of finding the manufacturer that can work with you on your project/product. Bill is connected like no other. He has lead the Jackson Area Manufacturing Association to be the #1 manufacturing group in Michigan.

Bill Rayl is part of the Jackson Economic Development Corp, The Jackson Chamber, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, and numerous other relevant government and community organizations.

After the speaker, we will talk about some of your projects, then we will have EXPERT CORNERS where you can identify people with expertise and have sit down one-on-one to get help.

If you haven’t been to a meeting for a while, email us with what you would like to hear. These meetings are for you, to help you get your idea out of the basement and moving to market. If we can answer your questions we all win!

Email a request for a Product Review and get expert help to get your idea going. We will give you advice on any problem you might have.

Meeting Agenda Location

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Registration Jackson Carnegie Library

6:30-7:30 p.m. – Program 244 W. Michigan Ave

7:30-8:30 p.m. – Networking Jackson, MI 49201

Michigan Inventors Coalition

The Jackson Inventors Network is offering admission the the Michigan Inventors Expo for both days for just $25.00. To get this price you must be a paid, active JIN member (paid more than active). Email John Hopkins at johndhopkins1@gmail.com and he will add you to the paid JIN attending list. This year’s Expo will take place Sept. 15-16, 2017, at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, 219 South Harrison Road, East Lansing, MI 48824

Join us for a day and a half of networking, pitches and education! The 5th Annual Michigan Inventors Expo will allow you to showcase your product, participate in the Spin, Pitch & Sell contest and takeaway helpful tips for further developing your invention.

New this year, join us September 15th, 2017 from 2:00 PM – 6:00 PM for our expert round tables, speakers and a networking reception!! Come back September 16th, 2017 from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM to connect with our exhibitors and hear from more speakers!

AGENDA

Friday, Sept. 15^th

2:00 – 3:00 PM Event Kickoff & Speaker: Matt Jung – Comfort Research Topic: INNOVATE MI

3:00 – 4:30 PM Expert round tables – 3, 30 minute sessions

4:30 – 5:30 PM Spin, Pitch & Sell Preliminary Round

5:30 – 7:00 PM REI Networking Reception & Mixer

Saturday, Sept. 16^th

8:00 – 8:30 AM Check-in

8:30 – 9:00 AM Successful Inventors Panel

9:05 – 9:30 AM Speaker: Denise Sylvester – Regional Outreach Office, USPTO

9:30 – 10:00 AM Speaker: Karen Smoots – Inventor, Green Glove Dryer

10:05 – 10:30 AM Speaker: Ken Johnson – Inventor

Topic: Licensing your idea!

Bio: In 1979 Ken Johnson started a game manufacturing company in his parents’ basement producing games he invented. He experienced some success with his first games. His big success came in 1982 when Ken set out to design a new card game. Upon seeing the success of Uno, he wanted to design a card game that could achieve similar success. After just a couple of days sequestered in his apartment, he came up with the Phase 10 card game. His first customers included K-Mart and Meijer stores. In 1987 Ken licensed the manufacturing and distribution rights of Phase 10 and began receiving royalties from the worldwide sales. It is now produced by Mattel, is sold in over 30 countries, and is the 2nd best selling card game in the world. In the summer of 2012, Ken celebrated Phase 10’s 30th Anniversary!

10:35 – 11:00 AM Speaker: Mike Suman – Inventor

Topic: Should Your Idea Become a Business?

11:05 – 11:15 AM Speakers: Representatives from TinkrLab

11:15 – 11:35 AM Speakers: Representatives from Amazon Sales

Topic: Inventor’s Successes Online!

11: 40 AM – 12:15 PM Speaker: Jimmy Tomczak – Inventor/Author

Bio: Jimmy Tomczak lives to design, inspire and connect. As founder, inventor, and author, Jimmy helps doers do more. He’s launched multiple companies and was even selected to appear and taped for an episode of ABC’s hit TV show Shark Tank. His work is featured in the Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, and more. Jimmy is a Crain’s 20 in their 20s honoree and recently gave a TED talk entitled, “Living Your Best Life Now Starts Today.” He graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and also completed the Program in Entrepreneurship.

12:30 – 2:00 PM Spin, Pitch & Sell – Finals

Q & A time about MI Inventors Groups

2:00 PM Event Wrap-up/Closing Remarks from Michigan Inventors Groups

EXPERT TABLES

1) Licensing – Ken Johnson- Licensing your product! Inventors Phase 10

2) Licensing – David Fedewa -Product Licensing Specialist -InventRight

3) Idea is it a Business – Mike Suman- 50+ Patents- Should Idea become A business?

4) Inventor Marketing advice – Karen Smoots-Inventor/Marketer– The Green Glove Dryer

5) USPTO Parent/Trademark info – Denise Sylvester – Patents-Trademarks Detroit USPTO Office

6) Patent Advice – Jake M. Ward – Registered Patent Attorney ESQ

7) “Grassroots” Business – Orville Crain- Retired from a successful “Grassroots” Business.

8) 10 steps to inventing – Marty Solvis- 10 steps to inventing! Booklet

9) Amazon Sales – Connie Larson- Amazon sales worked for VZ Hang..

10) Tinkelab – Chris & Melissa Allen- Young inventors Tinkelab

11) Planning/ Financials – Leandra Nisbet -Strategic Planning/ Financials

12) “Tradeshows Unik – Gary Crain- Unik sales/Direct sales, Tradeshows

13) As Seen On TV – Joe Finkler – Packaging/Marketing As Seen On TV

14) Library Resources – Mary Kordyban- Detroit Library- Great Resources

15) Marketing & Business Practice – Nicole Royer- Successful Marketing & Business Practises to Grow!

16) Making Conections – Casey Dubois- Selfie stand GR business- Making the right connections

17) MI Inventors Group – John Hopkins- 501 3 c Non-Profit Paperwork & Start up or find a MI Inventors Group

18) How to Win @ Pitch contest – Jordan Vanderham- How to Win @ Pitch contest!. Winners of over 6 contests

19) Buylocal Michigan – Duane Weed-Buylocal Michigan Storyteller- Video’s are a must for every business!

20) Running Businesses -Jimmy Tomczak – Inventor/Author #1 Book exploring the highs/lows of running Multiple Businesses.

21) Prototyping – Disher Design & Development – Getting your prototype

22) REI

23) SBA of Michigan – Ken Root – what the Small Business Association has to offer you to a small entrepreneur. With Matt Jung from Comfort Research – Big Joe Brand

Dale Moretz

Jackson entrepreneur, inventor and businessman R. Dale Moretz will speak at the July 25 Jackson Inventors Network meeting about how to keep inventing projects going. Moretz has 17 patents and many products in the market, as well as being a business leader. Come and get answers to your project questions.

Meeting Agenda

6:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Registration

6:30-7:30 p.m. – Program

7:30-8:30 p.m. – Networking

Location

Jackson Carnegie Library

244 W. Michigan Ave

Jackson, MI 49201

Directions:

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn West on W. Louis Glick (before RR tracks) Go 4 lights to Blackstone turn Left South two blocks to Michigan Ave. turn left & park
From E. Michigan Ave.: Turn North on Blackstone (5 lights past train station). Go 2 blocks to W. Michigan Ave. turn left East on Michigan Ave & park

Handicap Accessible. Meeting room in basement

This month we are doing something different. There will be no speaker! All entrepreneurs and inventors need sign up by return email to me to present their product at the meeting. You will have have 5 to 10 minutes for a quick product presentation or elevator speech. We are fortunate to have AMAZON Business representatives visiting our meeting. Bring your product and talk to the group about your project needs. The Amazon reps from the Detroit office may be able to help you take viable products to Amazon Business. This will be a great opportunity to get answers to your questions and to have help navigating through the challenges you have faced trying to get your product out to market.

To present you must email John Hopkins @ johndhopkins1@gmail.com. Anyone can present.

Meghan ONeill from Amazon Business will be at the meeting in an unofficial role but can answer questions as to how you can contact Amazon Business to possibly get your product listed on Amazon.

Jacob M. Ward listens to a question from the JIN inventors audience.

Tiffen, Ohio, patent law attorney Jacob M. Ward gave an in-depth presentation on the basics of patent search, patent law and other intellectual property issues, at the May 23, Jackson Inventors Network meeting at the Jackson District Library, Carnegie Branch.

UPDATE: Download a copy of Ward’s presentation here

Intellectual Property Law for Inventors

1 file(s) 741.38 KB

Download

Jacob Ward

This month our official walk thru the process speaker series for 2017. The topic is: Patently Good Ideas: Intellectual Property Law for Business and Entrepreneurs. This is an informative program on intellectual property, especially how it relates to DIY inventors and business entrepreneurs. The meeting will be May 23, 2017, at the Jackson District Library, Carnegie Branch.

Jacob M. Ward is a patent attorney from the Toledo Area, has presented to us before and active with the Michigan Inventors Coalition. He is a well-respected registered patent attorney, receiving his law degree from the University of Toledo.

Mr. Ward is the Founding Partner with the law firm of Ward Law Office LLC in Tiffin, Ohio. His practice consists of preparation and prosecution of patent applications in various technical arts, including the chemical, mechanical, and electrical arts. Mr. Ward also prepares legal opinions in relation to patentability, infringement, patent validity, and freedom to practice

After the speaker we will talk about some of your projects, then we will have EXPERT CORNERS where you can identify people with expertise and have sit down one on one time to get help.

Email a request for a Product Review and get expert help to get your idea going. We will give you advice on any problem you might have with your inventor/idea/project. Don’t miss out this is help you can’t get anywhere else!

Send your membership dues $45.00 keeps you in the inner circle of one of the most significant inventor groups in the country.

Directions to the library:

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn West on W. Louis Glick (before RR tracks) Go 4 lights to Blackstone turn Left South two blocks to Michigan Ave. turn left and park.

Carnegie Library

244 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201

Program

6:00 to 6:30 – Meet & Greet

6:30 to 7:30 – Program/Speaker

7:30 to 8:30 – Intense Networking

Cost:

Members*: $45 Annual membership
Non-Members: $5 at the door

Kenneth Johnson, inventor of the popular “Phase 10” card game, discusses the invention process, at prior JIN meeting

Don’t miss this meeting! Kenneth Johnson, one of the top sucessful inventors in Michigan, is speaking on “The Key Elements of a Successful License.” Many of us just don’t want to spent the rest of our lives producing our idea. Get some help and advice from a very suceesful inventor who has many products being sold and marketed by Mattel. Ken is a speaker you don’t want to miss.

Meeting @ Jackson Carnegie Library, 244 W. Michigan Ave, Jackson MI 49201

Time Registratation & Networking – 6:00 to 6:30
Program & speaker – 6:30 to 7:30
Networking & Expert Corners – 7:30 to 8:45

Directions from I-94: get off the Cooper exit go South, to Louis Glick (light just before the RR tracks) turn right West (it becomes a one way). go 4 lights to Blackstone turn left go 2 blocks to Michigan turn left & park.

The Jackson Inventors Network (JIN) returns to the Jackson District Library, Carnegie Branch, with one of our most popular topics and popular past speakers. “Mock ups and Prototypes” presentation from product designer and inventor Todd Kauranen, Core Team Industrial Designer, DISHER, and his colleague, Chad Barnes.

Why build a Mock-Up? A mock-up is a scale or full-size model of an invention, and can be a valuable tool for demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mock-up is a prototype if it provides at least some functionality and enables a degree of testing.

 Low-cost mock-ups invite valuable constructive criticism more readily than do prototypes that appear to have required substantial work.
 Simple mock-ups are usually easy to change.
 Mock-ups make it possible to do usability testing early in the development process.
 Mock-ups focus on content and functionality and turn attention away from details of graphic design.

Todd spoke to us about this topic back in 2015. You don’t want to miss this one!

Directions to the library:

From Cooper/Bus. 127: Turn West on W. Louis Glick (before RR tracks) Go 4 lights to Blackstone turn Left South two blocks to Michigan Ave. turn left and park.

Carnegie Library

244 W. Michigan Ave.
Jackson, MI 49201

Program

6:00 to 6:30 – Meet & Greet

6:30 to 7:30 – Program/Speaker

7:30 to 8:30 – Intense Networking

Cost:

Members*: $45 Annual membership
Non-Members: $5 at the door

Jackson Inventors Network

March 27th Meeting: Learning at the tinkrLAB

JIN Meeting notice: “Finding Help, Where’s the Money,” on Nov. 28

Oct. 24th JIN Meeting: Finding a Manufacturer to Work With

JIN at Michigan Inventors Expo17

July 25 JIN Meeting features Jackson Inventor Dale Moretz

June 27th JIN Meeting: Anyone can present!

Update: Jacob Ward discusses patents to Jackson Inventors

Intellectual Property Law for Inventors

May 23 JIN meeting topic: Patently Good Ideas: Intellectual Property Law for Business and Entrepreneurs

Cost:

April 25th JIN meeting: “Key Elements of a Successful License” with Kenneth Johnson

March 28 JIN meeting: Prototyping

Cost:

JIN on Facebook

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