The 2012 UIA Hardware Show Inventor Education Seminar Speakers List I Love My Invention! But Who Cares? Ron Hazelton Inventor, Author, Actor, & Host Ron Hazelton s HouseCalls On the road, at the studio or in his workshop, Ron Hazelton is on a mission: to provide people with the friendly advice and motivation they need to improve their homes and surroundings. A leading authority in the do-ityourself home improvement field, Ron is the host of his own home improvement series, "Ron Hazelton's HouseCalls," now in its eleventh season and reaching nearly 80% of U.S. markets. Formerly, Ron was the Home Improvement Editor for ABC's "Good Morning America" where he reported on a variety of topics related to home improvement, design, repair, health, and safety. He hosted the History Channel series, "Hands on History," and other History Channel programs including, "Modern Marvels" and "Save our History: Frontier Homes." Ron has also offered his home improvement expertise on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "Inside Edition." The son of a building contractor, Ron began his journey into the world of home improvement when he left a successful marketing career to return to his roots and hone his wood-working skills. After founding an antique restoration workshop in San Francisco in 1978, he became recognized as a master craftsmen and cabinetmaker. Hoping to share with others the satisfaction he had working with his hands to enhance the beauty and comfort of a home, he embarked on his first television venture in 1989, pioneering the concept of reality-based, on-location home improvement television with "The House Doctor." The series of more than 200 episodes, aired on the Home and Garden Television Network (HGTV). Ron is the founder of the online destination www.ronhazelton.com. Ron is the author of "Ron Hazelton's HouseCalls: America's Most Requested Home Improvement Projects," published by Time-
Life books. He lives in Fairfield, Connecticut with his wife, two children, two dogs, a dozen fish and a never-ending honey do list. Manufacturing and Supply Sourcing for Inventors Michael Lee Alibaba Inc. Director, International Business Development & Marketing Michael is the head of Marketing and Business Development for Alibaba.com in the Americas region. His mission is to help companies which have sourcing needs to learn about Alibaba.com services and how Alibaba.com can help their businesses grow. Michael brought 15 years of marketing experience from several Fortune 500 companies including Dell and Hewlett-Packard, with focus on product marketing and demand generations. Crowd Funding For Inventors Mark Reyland Professional Inventor & Executive Director, The United Inventors Association of America Since childhood, Mr. Reyland has successfully traversed the turbulent waters of entrepreneurship, inventing, product development several times. He began his professional career and several creative ventures while serving in the United States Air Force and then with the National Security Agency (NSA) as an Intelligence Analyst, A classified technology Inventor, and Executive in charge of technology innovation programs. Mr. Reyland s long list of accomplishments include: Director of Classified Technology Development for a fortune 500 company, National Security Agency liaison to the Korean government and the US Air Force Special Programs Office, and a successful manufacturing technology and product inventor. Founding nine companies since high school, Mr. Reyland is currently the Founder and CEO of Obvious Ideas LLC, a private product development company specializing in providing fully developed products to traditional retail and the direct response industry.
Additionally, Mr. Reyland serves the inventor community as Executive Director and Executive Committee Member of The United Inventors Association of America. In addition to being the country s oldest and largest non-profit inventor organization, the UIA is a team of well respected professional inventors, executives, and product suppliers providing education and guidance to its members through the many inventor outreach programs under Mr. Reyland s leadership. Residing in Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife Debra, Mr. Reyland has four grown children and two beautiful grandchildren. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and The National Cryptologic University in Washington D.C. Mr. Reyland s technology inventions and retail products have been widely published in magazines and trade journals around the world. You can often hear him as a guest lecturer at universities, media programs, and inventor forums, or read his daily Inventor Blog. Selling Inventions on TV Scott Hynd QVC Host & Co Founder, Proformance Marketing Group Direct response marketing-- on television and on-line has become a huge avenue for inventors looking to launch their new products and create name recognition. Is this industry the right choice for you? Is your product right for this industry? What do you need to know to safely navigate the waters in the world of DRTV? Scott is the President and Co-Founder of Proformance Marketing Group (PMG), a Philadelphia-based marketing firm that specializes in Direct Response Television and product promotion. Scott appears regularly as a product expert on both QVC and in infomercials. Over the past decade, he has presented over 150 different products on television, totaling over 1,000 appearances and tens of millions of dollars in sales. Additionally, he has served as a spokesperson for numerous products and events in all forms of media, both nationally and internationally, and has served as a speaker, panelist, or judge at national tradeshows and inventor workshops across the country. Prior to PMG, he held executive positions with a venture capital firm that specialized in emerging product technology as well as a consumer electronics company. Scott is a graduate of both Clemson University and the Villanova University School of Law. He is an avid golfer and lives in Suburban Philadelphia with his wife and daughter.
Driving the Road to Inventor Profits Ryan Grepper Professional Inventor Founder, The Inventors Blueprint. Are you on the right path to bring your invention to market? Learn if you should truly be pursuing Licensing or Manufacturing based on your goals and your product. Plus, learn two sneaky tricks you can do tonight to maximize your time at the Hardware Show. An accomplished inventor, Ryan Grepper is an advocate of inventor education and the founder of Inventor's Blueprint, a popular online training program guiding inventors down a "Proven Path To Market" through innovative video-based training, downloadable tools and a suite of helpful resources. Focusing currently on the Pet and Travel industries, he has successfully transformed his concepts into both licensed and manufactured products by pursuing them with a committed focus to his highly tuned invention process. Marketing your Invention Thinking Outside the Big Box Dave Lampson Professional Inventor Founder, Creation Nation Inc. There are many paths to get your product to the Marketplace and not all involve Big Box retailers. Learn about other highly effective routes to market and the steps you need to get there. Dave Lampson is a prolific inventor and the founder of Creation Nation, Inc. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, and developed, launched, and licensed products internationally. He and his team are passionate about helping inventors. Creation Nation has secured strategic alliances with several major companies to manage the development and presentation of innovative products conceived by independent inventors and small businesses. Product categories include Hardware, Toy and Game, Health and Beauty, Housewares, Fitness, Impulse, and many more. Organizations such as the USPTO, Consumer Reports, ABC s Shark Tank, the Food Network, Fox News, Shopping Networks, Direct Response TV, Catalog, and Retailers
rely on Dave and his team as the source for trustworthy information and new products. Making the Jump from Great Idea to Commercial Success Mike Bucci Professional Inventor, Author & Founder, K&M of Virginia Since founding his company years ago, Mike has successfully developed its first product, the Painter s Pyramid, from concept to launch. In that time, millions of Painter s Pyramids have been sold in more than 10,000 retail locations in more than 20 countries. Mike has brought to market multiple, award-winning products including the Finishing Turntable, Craft-N-Spin, Slide-N-Pump, VersaSpin 360, Grabbers and a new and improved Painter s Pyramid with several more on the way. In addition, Mike has started a services side of his business which strives to affordably educate inventors who are looking to become entrepreneurs on strategies and tactics to transform their ideas into commercially successful products. Included in the services is his book, "Start Living the American Dream: An Entrepreneurs Guide to Turning Your Idea Into Your Future" that was published in 2011. Mike currently serves on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Council on Small Business and the Virginia Leadership Council for the National Federation of Independent Businesses. The Garage Inventor Against the Odds Greg Amundsen Inventor & President, Insta Caulk Inc. America has a long history with the garage Inventor and a large number of very successful products from the Thomas Edison light bulb to the first Apple Computer. Being a garage inventor is a lonely challenging path with many pitfalls, failures and closed doors. How do you keep believing in what you are doing? When do you quit? How much money do you burn up? How many no s do you get before giving up? Amundsen will explore his 3 year journey of developing the Insta Caulk Product on a shoestring budget by utilizing friends and networking with anyone who would talk to
him as well as tapping into the vast wealth of information available through networking and the internet. Greg Amundson has been in the construction business for over 25 years. He and his wife, June Amundson, are Dealers for Lindal Cedar Homes in Scandia, Minnesota and are partners in the Insta Caulk product.