This Wednesday - Pros/Cons of Licensing Vs                          Starting a Business to Market Your Invention

Choose #1    HOW to Position Your Invention to License or Partner with a Company
By Steve Lyon, president of the Inventors Network and Pam Turner who will lead a discussion that will help you decide if you and your idea are right for licensing. Topics covered include:
 Who does what (inventor versus the company that licenses)
 How licensed inventions work as an income source
 What type(s) of IP work for licensing
 What is needed to convince a company to license your idea
 How to select the company and make the deal happen
 Personal Characteristics you need to drive success
 And More....
                                 - OR - 
WORKSHOP #2: HOW to Create a Business Startup with Your Invention
Led by Jahn Stopperan and Dick Sommerstad will lead a discussion that will help potential entrepreneurs commercialize their product.  Participants will learn and discuss a variety of topics related to starting a small business, such as:
 What it takes to get a business off the ground
 Methods to secure funding
 Forming a company and LLC agreements
 How to get funding to finance your company
 Strategies of getting started and pitfalls to avoid
 Personal Characteristics you need to drive success
 And More....

SPEAKER BACKGROUND:

Pam Turner, The Needle Lady

Invented the side threading needle because I could not get a limp piece of thread through a hole I could no longer see. Never struggle to thread a Needle again! Pam has so many experiences from the past 10+ years to share with us.

Dick Sommerstad is an established entrepreneur, starting over a dozen different companies and he currently operates a business called The Network Connect
The Network Connect is a network of angel investors, groups and funds: including mentors and advisors that connects investors with companies seeking to raise capital and provide resources for businesses.Throughout the year, the group conducts events and programs for investors, entrepreneurs, business owners, and business people seeking connection and information about the funding process.

Steve Lyon: Current President of Inventors Network. He has spent a lifetime studying and working in marketplaces, to include careers in sales, marketing and management with Proctor and Gamble and the Gallo Winery. He has owned several businesses, to include two award winning design/fashion forward furniture stores. He has a keen understanding of how products get to the marketplace and what the key participants are considering before they decide what products they will support. He has licensed four of his own inventions and holds two US Patents.

Jahn Stopperan is a senior technical consultant with 30 years of commercializing new products and services for a variety of small to mid-sized manufacturing companies seeking assistance in creating go-to-market success.
Mr. Stopperan operates DG Innovations of Lakeville, MN, providing product development, product introduction and marketing services to small and mid-sized companies.

A select handful of creators will present their new product idea on the auditorium stage to Marc Portney and his team. If the team sees an idea that they like, they may license it and produce the product themselves or will give presenters valuable feedback to help improve the product. Additionally, Marc will open with a session for all attendees on how to have a conversation with deal makers about your idea. 

Marc has a reputation for delivering new and innovative products to the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and All-American Makers on The Science Channel. Getting a product on a national market such as HSN is a dream for most entrepreneurs, so this is an opportunity to see product pitches that may eventually be sold to millions of customers.

Marc Portney is interested in physical products and goods that are consumer oriented. If you missed the chance to pitch, there will be other opportunities from Marc online.