On Thursday, May 26 at 7 p.m., the Inventors' Association of Connecticut (IACT) will present a talk at Fairfield University, featuring entrepreneur Mark Noonan who in sharing his stories of inventing such products as the "Leaf Loader" and the "Snowwolf" will illustrate the challenges of building a business from concept inception to the global marketplace. Open to the public, the meeting of this not for profit organization is co-hosted by Fairfield's School of Engineering and will take place in the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, in Room 107C. For more information and contact info, see http://www.inventus.org/ .

Noonan, of New Canaan, Conn., is president and founder of Structured Solutions LLC (soon to be renamed Nootools). He has built a product concept portfolio of more than 50 products, and will offer tips for those committed to product development and marketing.

"Mr. Noonan will offer insights to the topic of licensing versus building a brand and business," said School of Engineering Professor Doug Lyon, Ph.D., co-director of Fairfield's graduate program in electrical and computer engineering, and president of the IACT. "He will be sure to note various landmines facing those intent on starting a company or even licensing intellectual property."

Noonan's first major success was the "Wovel," a wheeled snow shovel now sold globally under its new brand name, "Snowwolf." His most recent product is the "Leaf Loader," which gained market entry only eighteen months from inception. He earned a B.A. in economics from Duke University and an MBA in marketing and finance from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business.

The events of the IACT are an avenue for bringing together not only tinkerers and inventors, but people working in marketing, venture capitalists, intellectual property attorneys, and entrepreneurs, among others. That's because getting an invention off the ground requires a team effort. The organization was founded in 1982.

Posted On: 05-23-2011 11:05 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 314