The West Virginia Inventors Society continues its statewide tour to promote and support innovation with a June 22 meeting of the minds in Huntington.
Hosted by the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (1050 Fourth Ave.), the free event will include presentations by successful inventors and a hands-on Design Thinking exercise to help attendees unleash and focus their inner creativity. Participants also will have the opportunity to network with other inventors, share ideas and learn about resources available to move their inventions from concept to commercialization.
Speakers will include Laura Riegel, co-owner of Blue Ink Tech, a Huntington-based technology company that she founded with her husband. The former Boeing engineers identified needs within the transportation industry then invented electronic sensors and software systems to meet those needs, parlaying those innovations into a successful – and growing – business.
Gary Gini, owner of the Instrument Lab in Spencer, will discuss “The Journey of Invention: From Idea to Marketable Product.” The creator of innovative musical instrument repair tools will talk about how he used a rapid iterative design process to develop revolutionary new products. He will offer helpful insights by explaining challenges he encountered along the way and the solutions he embraced to overcome them.
Ben Eng, associate professor of marketing and entrepreneurship at Marshall University’s Lewis College of Business, will present an interactive workshop on how to use a Design Thinking approach to develop “innovating solutions that people love for ill-defined human-centered problems.”
“We’re excited to present this inspiring lineup of speakers,” said Deacon Stone, director of the EDA University Center at the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center. “If you’re an inventor, aspiring inventor – or just curious – join us for this free event to explore best practices for transforming novel ideas into marketable products or processes and learn about the myriad of resources available to assist inventors.”
The June 22 Huntington stop of the West Virginia Inventors Society will run from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Register at www.mfg.marshall.edu/wvisjune2023. For more information, contact the Advanced Manufacturing Center’s Mike Friel at or 304.781.1686.
