The West Virginia Inventors Society is hitting the road with a Feb. 23 meeting of the minds in Wheeling. The event will feature organization co-founders Brian Joseph and Linwood Hamilton sharing their journeys to invention success.
Joseph, president, CEO and founder of Touchstone Research Laboratory in Triadelphia; and Hamilton, a financial adviser from Charleston, hold more than 35 patents between them. The founders will explain how they brought their ideas to market, pitfalls for novice inventors to avoid, and where to turn for assistance in developing inventions.
Special guest Rick Lucas, chief technology officer and vice president for new markets at ExOne, as well as a holder of numerous patents, will share his insights about the invention process. Lucas has more than 25 years of experience in product development, manufacturing, and business development, including at ExOne, a leader in 3D printing technology, and at Touchstone.
“We invite inventors, aspiring inventors, individuals with ideas they think have commercial potential – or just the curious – to join us in Wheeling,” said Joseph, one of the state’s most prolific inventors. “We hope our insights will provide guidance and inspiration to other inventors while helping them avoid the mistake of throwing good money after bad ideas.”
The Feb. 23 event, sponsored by Marshall University’s Robert C. Byrd Institute (RCBI) and West Virginia Executive magazine, will take place at Oglebay Resort from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. It is free to attend but registration is required at rcbi.org/WVISFeb2023.
Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions, vet their ideas, and connect with resources to help them bring their inventions to market. RCBI representatives will be on hand to explain specific services it offers entrepreneurs, inventors and businesses, including early-stage funding assistance and rapid prototyping as well as design, engineering and manufacturing assistance.
“The invention process can be frustrating and confusing, especially for first-time inventors,” said Hamilton. “We want to make it easier for inventors by eliminating much of the guesswork. The West Virginia Inventors Society is by, for, and about inventors and provides a forum for sharing ideas and finding inspiration.”
Before the event, participants will have the opportunity to tour Joseph’s Touchstone Research Laboratory, one of West Virginia’s most innovative companies. Touchstone has a world-class research facility, materials research expertise, and a growing patent portfolio and is well-known for taking new technologies from ideation to commercialization and spinning those inventions as businesses. The tour will begin at 2 p.m. Participants must be U.S. citizens.
For more information, contact RCBI’s Mike Friel at mfriel@rcbi.org or 304-781-1686.