Full story at http://news.usf.edu/article/templates/?a=5167&z=210

Keely Karnes took home the Outback Top Trademark Award for HEAR-RINGS™ which is her brand for audio ear buds that integrate with earring jewelry.   MOSI’s president Wit Ostrenko awarded all finalists annual family memberships to Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry.

2011 USF Young Innovator champion Marissa Streng received her utility patent award from USF President Genshaft.  Marissa has commercialized her dog drying invention which is currently for sale under the federally trademarked brand, Puff-N-Fluff. 

The ten finalists were:

1. Cooper Tharrington Sound Asleep Clock
2. George Seits Built-In French-Fry Condiment Holder SECOND PLACE
3. Grace Larson Portable Hitching Post for Dogs
4. Jonathan Ullom Mower Chute Clearer  SPECIAL RECOGNITION
5. Katie Warren Boo Boo Baboon  THIRD PLACE
6. Keeley Karnes Hear-rings
7. Mica Jadick Cereal Container that Removes Crumbs  FIRST PLACE
8. Nicholas Boyd Safe Teen Driver System
9. Prerna Ravinder The Back Benefactor
10. Stamatina Liristis Scratch O Matic

		2013 Event VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

As is tradition, the competition is being held on Thomas Alva Edison’s birthday and in celebration of the spirit of invention and ingenuity. Nearly 600 entries were received from students in the Tampa Bay Region for the competition. 

Every entry receives a day pass to Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) and the 10 finalists receive annual family passes.  Outback Steakhouse will award the Top Trademark Award for the most creative invention branding.

On Monday, the top 10 competitors present their invention for an opportunity to win prizes. The National Academy of Inventors, USF Chapter selected the following students as finalists, judging of the inventions will be based on creativity and originality; quality and persuasiveness of entrant’s presentation; benefit to people and the invention’s marketability. In order of Monday night’s presentation, the finalists are:

1. Cooper Tharrington Sound Asleep Clock
2. George Seits Built-In French-Fry Condiment Holder
3. Grace Larson Portable Hitching Post for Dogs
4. Jonathan Ullom Lawn Mower Side Discharge Chute Clearer
5. Katie Warren Boo Boo Baboon
6. Keeley Karnes Hear-rings
7. Mica Jadick Cereal Container that Removes Crumbs
8. Nicholas Boyd Safe Teen Driver System
9. Prerna Ravinder The Back Benefactor
10. Stamatina Liristis Scratch O Matic

The USF Young Innovator Competition promotes innovation and creativity in young people by motivating them to solve problems and improve upon the things around them. 

Dr. Ryalls advised finalists that being nervous was perfectly normal and actually gives speakers an edge with a rush of adrenaline.  Everyone has “butterflies” when they give a big presentation…the key is to get those butterflies to “fly in formation.”  Another key topic covered by Dr. Ryalls is how to organize their presentation into logical stages and keep things brief.

Dr. Dewhurst gave the audience and acronym to remember: NBAC which stands for “needs, benefits, advantages and costs.”  Relaying each of these topics to a judge (or investor) conveys the value of the invention most efficiently.  Both presenters advised the finalists to hold back on revealing their invention until they’ve established the problem they seek to solve and build some anticipation for the solution.

		2013 Finalist Workshop VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

All those attending noted the inventions and presentations were some of the best ever presented in the competition and there is great anticipation for Monday night’s event.

Nearly 600 invention entries were judged by a panel of 9 experienced technologists.  Including Anton Hopen, Ron Smith, Steve Rogai, Guy Hagen, Woody Pollack, Robert Varkonyi, Michele Lawson, Nilay Choksi and Andriy Lytvyn.

Top Ten Most Prolific Educators by Invention Submissions:

1. Terrie Soltau, Oak Grove Middle: 60 entries
2. Cathleen Ell, Highland Lakes Elementary: 50 entries
3. Sandra Van Oosten, Walden Lake Elementary: 50 entries
4. Joanie Falk, St. Pauls School: 35 entries
5. Angela Hartle, Wellspring Enrichment: 24 entries
6. Holly Wintrip/Kim Tomko, Canterbury: 21 entries
7. Charla Stephenson, McKeel Academy: 20
8. Donna Rees, McKeel Academy: 20
9. Lisa Bridges, McKeel Academy: 20
10. Amber Schumaker, South McKeel Academy: 20

By county:

• Pinellas: 206
• Polk: 202
• Hillsborough: 143
• Citrus: 7
• Pasco: 7
• Manatee: 5
• Sarasota: 4
• Hernando: 0

By Grade Level:

• Kindergarten: 6
• 1st Grade: 12
• 2nd Grade:  71
• 3rd Grade:  118
• 4th Grade:  158
• 5th Grade:  80
• 6th Grade:  31
• 7th Grade:  13
• 8th Grade:  77
• 9th Grade:  2
• 10th Grade: 1
• 11th Grade:  2
• 12th Grade:
• Unknown: 3

Total Elementary:  445
Total Middle School: 121
Total High School: 5

By School:

• McKeel Academy: 176
• Oak Grove Middle: 73
• Highland Lakes Elementary: 50
• Walden Lake Elementary: 50
• St. Pauls School: 36
• Wellspring Enrichment: 24
• Canterbury: 24
• South McKeel Academy: 22
• Martinez Middle: 23
• Keswick Christian: 16
• Spessard L. Holland: 16
• Churchwell Elementary: 7
• Inverness Middle: 7
• Anderson Elementary: 5
• Electa Lee Magnet: 5
• Westchase Elementary: 5
• Venice Christian: 4
• Countryside Montessori: 3
• Safety Harbor Elementary: 3
• Home-Schooled: 3
• Sanderlin IB: 2
• McKitrick Elementary: 2
• Tampa Prep: 2
• Imagine Charter: 2
• Ballast Point: 1
• Cambridge Christian: 1
• Countryside High: 1
• Mea (Polk) : 1
• Mulberry Middle: 1
• Pinellas Academy of Match and Science: 1
• Trinity Elementary: 1
• Denham Oaks Elem: 1
• Dunedin Highlander Middle: 1
• Gorrie Elementary: 1
• Lomax Magnet: 1
• Middleton High: 1
• Valrico Lake Advantage Academy: 1
• Wiregrass Ranch High: 1

Anton Hopen founded the competition in 2008. He is a former criminal prosecutor and a U.S. Registered Patent Attorney, Board Certified by the Florida Bar. He is managing partner of Smith & Hopen, P.A., one of the largest Intellectual Property law practices in Florida and serves as outside patent counsel for the University of South Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center, Florida State University, Colorado State University, University of Central Florida, Florida A&M University, Jabil Circuit, among many other organizations large and small.

Steve Rogai has over 15 years of retail and product development experience.  Steve has held roles in branding, corporate purchasing, logistics, consumer sales, merchandising, and retail management. In 2009, he joined the TVGoods team as Director of Business Development and co-founded what is now The Inventor Center.  The Inventor Center was created to leverage TVGoods’ recognition and process the product flow from increased media exposure. In 2010, Steve was appointed CEO of TVGoods and took the company public in just three months. 

Guy Hagen is Vice President of digital strategy and Shareholder at Tucker/Hall, one of Florida’s leading public relations firms.  He has a 20 year Florida career as an researcher and entrepreneur.  He has managed a $13+ million technology /venture fund for the USDOD, gave an invited presentation before the White House Office of Technology Assessment and the former Soviet governments, and been a core team member of the Florida High Tech Corridor Council since 1996. 

Woodrow H. “Woody” Pollack is is a shareholder in the Gray-Robinson, P.A. Tampa office and devotes his practice exclusively to intellectual property. He is Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Intellectual Property Law. Woody litigates patent, copyright, and trademark matters in courts throughout the country. As a patent attorney, Woody also prosecutes patent applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and assists clients in negotiating patent protection in computer-related technologies.

Ronald E. Smith is a 1969 graduate of the University of Tennessee, holding a B.S. degree in Industrial Engineering, and a 1973 graduate of the University of Florida College of Law.  Mr. Smith is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the Middle and Southern Districts of the U.S. District Court, the Fifth and Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court.  M. Smith has written and prosecuted more than 700 U.S. patents, most of them in the mechanical, electrical and electronic arts.  He is Board Certified in Intellectual Property Law by the Florida Bar.

Robert Varkonyi is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law where he concentrated his coursework on Patent Law, Trademark and Unfair Competition, International Intellectual Property, Copyright Law, Antitrust Law and Directed Research with emphasis on Antitrust and Patent Law.  Mr. Varkonyi graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Biology focused on Genetics and Development.  He previously served as a science technician for Fox Chase Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology in Philadelphia, PA.  Mr. Varkonyi focuses his practice in biotechnology and the mechanical arts.

Nilay Choksi received his Juris Doctor degree from Emory University School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Xavier University. He is registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. At Emory, Mr. Choksi worked in the Coca-Cola’s Division of Patents & Trademarks, where he counseled future IP litigation and prosecuted a Coca-Cola patent application for green bottling material. Mr. Choksi also worked in the Technology Transfer Office for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in Atlanta. At the CDC, he performed patentability analyses and drafted licenses for the CDC’s IP. Additionally, Mr. Choksi participated in Emory’s IP certificate program, allowing him to work directly with PhD students and technology startups to commercialize their innovation through IP and business means.

Andriy Lytvyn received his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law where he held the position of an article editor of the Journal of Science and Technology Law. Mr. Lytvyn earned a concentration in Intellectual Property Law by completing a wide array of specialized law courses including IP Law, Patent Law, Copyright Law, Trademarks & Unfair Competition, Patent Prosecution, IP Licensing, IP & the Internet, and International IP Law. Mr. Lytvyn graduated with honors from the University of Florida with Bachelor of Science degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. While at UF, his academic accomplishments were recognized with several prestigious scholarships including the Boeing Company Scholarship, Exxon Mobile Scholarship, and UF College of Engineering Dean’s Scholarship. Mr. Lytvyn is admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

David Jacobs is a registered patent attorney and graduate of Stetson College of Law graduating in the top 10 of his class. He obtained his Bachelor of Science from Arizona State University’s Barrett Honors College with a focus on biology. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the American Intellectual Property Law Association.

Preliminary Judging

The 50 candidate submissions will proceed to preliminary judging by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), University of South Florida Chapter on Wednesday, January 30, 2013.  NAI will select the top 10 finalists which will compete live on February 11, 2013.  The 40 submissions not selected will receive special Honorable Mention innovation medals.

We will call the parents and teachers of the 10 selected finalists the afternoon of Wednesday, January 30, 2013.  Once we have called (or left messages) for the top 10 finalists we will post the names of the top ten finalists the evening of Wednesday, January 30, 2013.

Finalists Presentation Workshop

The 10 finalists should plan to attend the presentation workshop at USF’s Tampa Campus the morning of Saturday, February 9, 2013.  The presentation workshop gives the finalists one-on-one access to expert speakers, engineers and business consultants.

Innovation Showcase

All finalists, participants, friends, and family should save the date of Monday, February 11, 2013, 5-8 pm.  The finalist competition will be held at the USF Patel Center (Tampa Campus).  An Innovation Showcase (5-6 pm) will allow media, guests and the public to view the top 10 finalists’ inventions and interact with the competitors and judges.  Food and beverages will also be provided. 

Finalist Competition

At 6 pm the competition will start with the introduction of the judges, a few special awards (including the Outback Steakhouse Top Trademark Award), MOSI’s award to the finalists, and a special surprise presentation. 

The 10 finalists will then present their inventions to the panel of six judges.  Immediately after the presentations, the judges will deliberate for a 30 minute intermission and then return for the awards ceremony the same night wherein all prizes will be awarded. 

Finalist Judges

Kevin Harrington, Chairman of TVGoods.com, LLC is widely acknowledged as pioneer of the “infomercial” industry. Since producing the industry’s first infomercial in the 1980s, Harrington has financed more than 500 product launches resulting in sales of more than $4 billion worldwide with 20 products reaching sales of over $100 million each, and creating dozens of millionaires. Due to his extensive resume, Kevin was selected as an investor “Shark” on the ABC television series Shark Tank produced by Mark Burnett. The show gives budding entrepreneurs the chance to pitch their products to a panel of acclaimed judges in hopes of turning their ideas into a successful business reality. He recently released a book entitled “Act Now: How I Turn Ideas into Million-Dollar Products” that chronicles his life and experiences in the DRTV industry.

Bill Green is an eighteen year veteran of HSN and one of its best known hosts. HSN is a $3 billion multi-channel retailer with strong direct-to-consumer expertise. Bill began his career in radio at the age of 16 and has logged thousands of hours on television through HSN. One of his primary objectives is to convey the value of new products to customers worldwide. He is responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in sales and is widely considered an expert on presenting complex product features to an audience.

Paul R. Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc. is Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation, Distinguished University Professor, and Executive Director of the Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair at the University of South Florida. He is the author of more than 500 scientific articles, and thirteen books, with over 10,000 citations to his work. Dr. Sanberg is an inventor on approximately 40 health-related patents and founded the National Academy of Inventors.

Jen Holloway, former Bay News 9 anchor, is also an accomplished inventor and finalist on Every Edisons with her innovative exercise product Workout 180. Jen graduated with a degree in Journalism from Kennesaw State University in Atlanta. She also started her broadcast career in Atlanta at WTLK TV-14 as host of the city’s only week night, live, entertainment program. After Atlanta, Jen worked at KPRC Channel 2 in Houston, TX for a couple of years…..then on to Tampa Bay where she is one of the area’s most recognized journalists.

Israel Morejon is CEO and President of LEDNovation, a developer and manufacturer of environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art LED lighting technology.  He founded Integrated Engineering Technology (IET) designing technology for lighting, hearing aids, kidney dialysis systems, robots and the core waveguide technology used in speed guns. A prolific innovator, Mr. Morejon holds over forty (40) granted patents in a variety of technology areas. Mr. Morejon is an engineering graduate from the University of South Florida.  

Sebastian Dewhurst, Ph.D.  In 2000, Dr. Dewhurst developed the concept of a new Rapid Application Development software product, later to become EASA which serves Procter & Gamble, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, Zurich Financial, and Canon. Dr. Dewhurst obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oxford in 1988, with an internship at NASA.  Dr. Dewhurst obtained his Doctorate from Oxford. He also held lectureships in Mathematics, Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at the University of Oxford. 

Finalist Competition Photo Album