Tony Litwinowicz is an aerospace engineer who worked in research and development for helicopters, so it was a natural progression that he go on to invent . . . a hair cutting tool? Tony was an amateur barber before he was a professional engineer. His mother cut his hair...
Sometimes all you can do is pick yourself up, dust yourself off, shake the pea soup off your shoes and walk away with as much dignity as you can muster. That’s what Les Cookson did his first time on Shark Tank after an ill-fated, and sloppy, presentation of his...
Seaweed has been a diet staple for humans for tens of thousands of years. Certainly in Japan, Korea and China, where it still is, so much so that demand far outstrips supply. In the Americas, cooked and partially eaten seaweed has been found in the hearths of the most...
Conor Lewis was already a creative guy. He has a BFA degree in Graphic Design from Western Kentucky University and worked on video productions for Fortune 500 companies; planned economic development projects and community events; and produced, directed, and wrote Dirty Laundry, a documentary about cancer-causing asbestos. When COVID-19...
Erica Cole remembered the sirens, the flashing lights, and the frantic activity around her, when she woke up in the hospital. She did not remember the car crashing into hers, and she did not yet know her leg had been amputated. It was a long, difficult recovery, including getting...
Diana Jarrar grew up in Syria where dates with their chewy texture and candy-like sweetness were simply a fact of everyday life. And had been just about forever. Dates had been cultivated in the Middle East and Northern Africa for 6,000 years and had grown wild for 50 million...
Young King Hair Care is a line of natural, plant-based products that are made specifically for Black and Brown boys. From the ingredients to the scent to the packaging—it’s all geared to redefine male grooming and encourage boys with textured hair to celebrate their “crowns.”
First time parents, Cora and...
Kirsten Brand’s little dog Emma, like many dogs, is very to sensitive to loud noises. Fireworks, thunderstorms, sirens send her running for cover. Kirsten had tried various remedies to lessen Emma’s distress: playing with her or feeding her treats to distract her from the noise, putting a special shirt...
Everything was happening at once. Robbie Friedman was on the phone constantly arranging for the sale of his Viewabill software, as he moved from room to room and outside so he could hear. He and his wife has just welcomed their first daughter into their lives, and as joyous...
Many people love to cook. There aren’t many (any?) that “love” to clean up afterward. What if there were a way to keep all the ingredients, bowls and utensils organized while cooking? What if the mess could be contained to one 21” wide space rather than strewn around the...
“If you want something done right, sometimes you have to do it yourself.” Athena Kasvikis waited a long time for a lingerie company to design a bra for her and the 50+ million other women, in the US alone, who need DD to I cups but 30-38 bands.
Athena found...
Pinole is an ancient superfood created by the Aztecs to fuel their warriors. It was made from roasted ground white or yellow corn that is both filling and nutritious. It is still a staple in the larders of many Mexican Indian tribes, but is most associated with the Tarahumara...
Nikeytha (“Nickey”) Ramsey was a traveling speech pathologist returning to work after the birth of her second child. As she grappled with leaky plastic bags, clunky bottles, or heavy glass jars, she thought, “There has to be a better way!” And she found it. She invented Junobie Reusable Breast...
Range Beauty is a makeup line that was created out of a need for more diverse shades and fewer toxic ingredients. It is an affordable solution to the gap in the cosmetic industry that excludes women of color, particularly those with acne- or eczema-prone skin. Range Beauty brings clean...
The Kettle Gryp turns ordinary dumbbells into kettlebells. Kettlebells are round and made of cast iron or steel with a flat base and a handle. (Think teapot without a spout.) They can be swung, thrown, pressed or used in dozens of other ways. The exercises are a highly...
In the beginning of 2020, Michael Malkin was living his dream—working for Apple. He managed an Apple store in Newport News, VA, and before COVID, the store was wall-to-wall people on the weekends. Great for business, not great for Michael’s social anxiety. He had coping mechanisms, none of which...
A server blows on your Buffalo Wings before setting the plate in front of you. A barista blows on your Pistachio Crème Steamer. A buffet attendant whistles while he works. We are appalled, at least. More likely, grossed out. And that was even before COVID-19. Yet, we stand around...
Dr. Ali Seifi, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Director of the Neurological ICU at the University of Texas, saw many patients suffering from neurological injuries have the added misery of hiccups as they recovered. There were times a patient was more tormented by the hiccups than by the recovery...
Tristen Ikaika (né Tristen Amal Ikaikamaikai'ikaneokalani Persons) was fascinated with a family friend’s rings made from spoons. He was only 12 years old when his father showed him how to make the rings and set up a workshop in the garage for him. For seven years, he made the...
Earl Cole and Brian Yennie are not reinventing the wheel. Rather, they are reimagining the tire. The founders of the SMART (Shape Memory Alloy Radial Technology) Tire Company won the rights to commercialize the Shape Memory Alloy (SHA) technology that NASA has been developing for its Moon and Mars...
Celebrities today make sure to keep in close touch with their fans. Social media, such as Twitter and Instagram, allow them to keep their fans updated on what they are doing, where they are going, who they are dating, even what they are eating, as well as to post...
Renee Heath and Bechara Jaoudeh are good friends who have a common interest in gadgets. They enjoy going to invention trade shows to find what is new, unusual and clever. One day, the subject of bananas came up—as it will. Renee thought of her nieces and nephews and how...
What if you could take all your exercise equipment with you when you travel? Or maybe you’d like to get in a serious workout while outside in the fresh air, in a park or on the beach. How about having the equipment at the office for when long work...
Santa’s elves get all the publicity, but gnomes are busy at Christmas time also. The gnomes in the L. Frank Baum story, The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, make the bells worn by the reindeer that jingle during the Christmas Eve flight around the world. (Baum wrote The...
