Tampa Bay Inventors Celebrate 30 Years Of Innovation

Megan Hendricks | Tuesday, September 24, 2013

"Inventors Helping Inventors" is the motto of an organization of inventors in Tampa Bay who have been gathering together to advise and support each other for the past 30 years.

The nonprofit, all volunteer Tampa Bay Inventors Council (TBIC) is open to both professionals and novice inventors who want to network, collaborate and learn how to protect themselves and their inventions. The group meets twice per month for advice and information on topics such as patents, prototyping and marketing opportunities such as crowd funding.

Members’ inventions include the in10did, a touch typing keyboard with only 10 keys, the Halo Nightlight, which lights up the floor of a room while keeping the rest of the room dark, and the PamiPocket a lightweight cell phone purse.

Their 30th Anniversary celebration will take place October 1 at the EpiCenter at St. Petersburg College. Inventors from across the state will have their innovations on display, ranging from a cat pool to a new bed design. The group’s founder, patent attorney Ron Smith, will be speaking, as well as Kevin Harrington from Shark Tank and "As Seen on TV."

"America has always embraced the inventor or entrepreneur…people who are willing to start a company or build upon an idea," says Wayne Rasanen, president of TBIC. "Tampa is kind of a small town for businesses, so generating more start-ups and entrepreneurial spirit in Tampa Bay is vital to establishing new companies, to building new industries."

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source, Wayne Rasanen, TBIC

Read more articles by Megan Hendricks.

A Florida native and longtime Tampa Bay resident, Megan Hendricks graduated from the University of South Florida with a master's degree in business administration. She worked at the USF College of Business and has extensive community experience including the Tampa Bay Partnership's Talent Dividend Advisory Board, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Emerge Tampa Bay, Ekhos, and Bar Camp Tampa. She is a former board member and newsletter editor for Creative Tampa Bay. Megan enjoys telling the stories that make Tampa Bay a unique, diverse cultural experience.