Welcome, Inventors! 
Welcome to the Inventors Network of Minnesota, where creators and innovators connect, learn, and bring ideas to life.
Outsourced Contract Manufacturing in Asia: Is It the Right Choice for Your Product?
 
Should you manufacture your product in Asia? Is it really more cost-effective? What are the advantages, risks, and hidden challenges every inventor should know before making this critical decision?
Join the Inventor's Network of Minnesota as we welcome Larry Mahoney, Owner of Asia Direct Resource, for an informative presentation on overseas contract manufacturing.
 
With decades of hands-on experience sourcing and manufacturing products internationally, Larry will share practical insights into the realities of manufacturing in Asia. He'll discuss the true costs, common pitfalls, quality considerations, supply chain management, intellectual property concerns, and when overseas production makes—and doesn't make—financial sense.
 
Whether you're just beginning your invention journey and evaluating manufacturing options, preparing to bring your first product to market, or looking to optimize an existing product line, this presentation will provide valuable knowledge to help you make informed decisions.
Come with your questions—Larry will be answering them throughout the presentation.
 
Don't miss this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's experienced professionals and gain insights that could save you time, money, and costly mistakes.
 
📅 Wednesday, August 19, 2026
🕕 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 Star Bank – Eden Prairie, MN
💲 FREE for members | $20 guests

Networking begins at 5:45 PM.
 
We hope you’ll join us for an evening of networking, inspiration, and helpful resources to continue your invention journey!
For more information, please visit: www.inventorsnetwork.org
 

Your Board Can Help You

At Inventors Network of Minnesota we take pride in the concept of helping our members network with each other and we strive to create networking possibilities in the Inventor sphere.
 
Networking can be described as the gathering of individuals for the purpose of sharing ideas, concepts, experiences and advice as well as it being a mechanism to find answers to questions within the subject, in our case "Inventing."

 

Your Board of Directors encourages you to seek connections within our organization to learn as well as share.

 

For general information, to inquire to be a speaker, or to join, email us at info@inventorsnetwork.org.
 
Our board is available to answer your questions. You can contact them by clicking on their names below.

 

Board Members


Jahn Stopperan, President
[ Email Jahn ]
Creating business plans
Go-to-market strategies
Sales & distribution channels
Starting a business around your invention
How to get momentum going with your invention
 
Steve Lyon, Past President
Taking products to market/licensing
Avoiding mistakes & navigating problems
How Inventors Network can help
 
Bill Berggren Esq., Treasurer
[ Email Bill ]
Protect the intellectual property of your invention
Applying for patent protection
Obtaining  trademark protection
Provide NDAs for discussions outside of meetings
 
Doug Lenz, Website Manager & Membership Secretary
Electromechanical engineering & design
Manufacturing & automation
Entrepreneurship & business development
 
Doug Renner, Secretary
Strategic business planning
Strategic finance
Digital marketing & networking
 
Jim Smith, Board Member
[ Email Jim ]
Strategic business planning
 
Bonnie Sheridan, Marketing
Marketing: branding, packaging design,
consumer insights, retail pitching,
and communications
 
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Meetings are third Wednesday of each month starting at 6:00PM.

Star Bank
250 Prairie Center Dr.
Eden Prairie, MN 55344

 

UPCOMING MEETINGS:   
  • July 15
  • August 19
  • September 16
 
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    Present Your Invention
    Would you like to present your invention at our monthly meeting?  Every month we offer our members 5-minute slots for them to present their invention to the group anyway they see fit.  We do suggest your idea be patented or patent pending first and you have discussed this with an attorney.  For more details click here.