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Jim’s career in retail began at an early age with the family business – a fireplace and home hardware company. After graduating from college, Jim went home to help expand the business from a small successful operation into a multi-million dollar business and became one of the most recognized and respected store of its kind on Long Island. Jim stimulated new business, purchased products from all over the world, and ran the overall daily operations.

Jim decided it was time to grow and joined a start up firm that imported binoculars, telescopes, and optical products for children. His retail customers included a “who’s who” in retail such as Target, Wal-Mart, Radio Shack, Sears, Michael’s, Cabelas, Home Shopping Network, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Discovery Channel Stores, Costco, and many others. Jim employed nearly 20 people inside and had dozens of sales reps all over the US, Canada, and Europe. Ultimately, Jim helped expand the company from virtually no significant revenue to a leading brand in the industry that has sold more than 50 million dollars of product since the mid 1990′s. When Jim was ready for a new adventure, he left the company as President and Chief Operating Officer.

Jim decided he was ready for yet a bigger challenge and joined a leading premium incentive company as their National Key Accounts Manager. Jim represented major national brands for this $100 million a year premium incentive firm such as Toshiba, Sony, Nikon, Nautilus, Movado and others. The products were used to create various incentive programs for fortune 1,000 companies around the world.

Jim’s experience has reached far and wide working with various products, retailers, manufactures, and factories. He knew it was time to help those that had a product in mind or ready for production. His goal was to teach others the process without unnecessary expense, time and red tape. That is how DeCavi Corp was born.

As the founder of DeCavi Corp, Jim has helped thousands of inventors and start-ups learn how to get their products developed and sold to major retailers. Jim then merged his firm with the renowned Slingshot Product Development Group which employs a team of 35 engineers, designers, and marketing experts who help individual inventors and Fortune 500 firms alike. Both are recognized as leaders in the inventor product development and commercialization arena. To

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Marc Portney, is an American Entrepreneur, Investor and Business Advisor.

His street smart insights and deep knowledge of the retail landscape are invaluable when assessing the commercial viability of new products.

As President of Chelsea Home Imports, an international player in product development, manufacturing and sales, Portney works diligently to bring new products to market. He is director of new business development and a special advisor to the Board of directors for Red Cardinal Holding Corp., a multi-national corporation with holdings well over a billion dollars. Portney also heads a group of venture capitalists who will participate in any size deal that he feels is worthy.

In January 2015 Portney will appear in the new Science Channel series ALL-AMERICAN MAKERS. The show will feature four amateur inventors each week, eager for an opportunity to take their product to market. Judged by two master makers, Brook Drumm and Brian Roe, and business magnate Portney, each inventor’s product is shown to consumers, broken down and examined to test their mettle and ultimate marketability. Portney and his team of savvy experts then decide if any of the inventions merit financial investment.

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ANDREA PASS

Owner

Andrea Pass Public Relations

Andrea Pass has launched public relations consultancy, Andrea Pass Public Relations. The 30+ year PR veteran has an expertise in national, regional and local media relations outreach for clients in such categories as consumer products, lifestyle, B2B, education, authors, non-profits and more. Her strength in relationships coupled with her knowledge of the ever-growing media base results in securing top tier, targeted media placements to increase brand awareness, reputation management and sales for established businesses and growing entrepreneurs alike.

Pass uses a public relations model to secure coverage clients in media outlets from NBC “Today,” ABC “20/20,” MSNBC “Your Business,” ABC “Good Morning America,” “Wendy Williams Show,” “Steve Harvey,” “Ellen,” Hallmark “Home & Family,” FNC “FOX & Friends” to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Associated Press as well as targeted trade and individual market press.

She has represented clients including TeleBrands/BulbHead, MyPillow, Blackstone Products Outdoor Griddles, Ronco, Top Dog Direct, Wolfgang Puck Pressure Oven, Wolfgang Puck Cooking School, Clark University, Bryant University, the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, Continental Airlines, French’s, Knorr, Mueller’s, Frank’s RedHot Sauce, African Pride Products, Brainy Baby, Tiny Love Developmental Baby Toys, Baltex Swimwear, Venus Fashions, E+M Advertising, Farmland Dairies, the New Jersey Restaurant Association, and a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures.

Prior to launching her own business, Pass served as Vice President, Media Relations for Marketing Maven.  She was also Vice President at a number of New York-area public relations firms where she developed and implemented B2C and B2B campaigns for clients in the categories of “As Seen on TV,” parenting, education, authors, food, kitchenware, health, fashion and non-profit, among many others.

Pass is credited for successful media relations programs for non-fiction and fiction authors including “Who Knew: 10,001 Easy Solutions for Everyday Problems” by Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin, “Dump Cakes,” “Dump Dinners” and “Red Copper Skillet Cooking” by Cathy Mitchell, “Great Kitchen Secrets” by Chef Tony Notaro, “How to be Organized in Spite of Yourself” and “Organizing for the Spirit” by Sunny Schlenger, “The Addictocarb Diet” by Dr. Bruce Roseman, “Silent Lies” by M.L. Malcom, and “Marathon” by W. William Winokur.

She has been a columnist for The Record, New Jersey’s largest daily newspaper, as well as for Toy Business Magazine.

Andrea Pass has been named a Leading Women Entrepreneur Top 25 Brand Builder for 2018 and was previous named a Direct Response Marketing Association (DRMA) Member of the Year Finalist. She has served on the Membership Committee of the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA). 

An active volunteer, Pass holds a B.A. in Communications from Glassboro State College.

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2018 Leading Women Entrepreneurs Top 25 Brand Builder

2015 DRMA Member of the Year Nominee Finalist

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Norm Goldstein:

Norm is the recipient of a Congressional Leadership Award and one of CNN's "Ten National Innovators" changing lives in America. A Global Goodwill Ambassador and Humanitarian. He is a recognized pioneer and visionary in the field of youth innovation and empowerment.

Co-founded By Kids For Kids with daughter Cassidy to create a company that:

- empowers kids to innovate and develop critical and creative thinking skills
- provides teachers, parents, and youth organizations with FREE supplemental educational materials
- positions underwriters to fulfill corporate social responsibility initiatives with meaningful educational programs and outreach
- motivates and rewards teachers, students, and parents with celebration events and prizing including scholarships, grants, and gift cards

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If you think about it, it's shocking that most wallets have no security built into them. A product which holds so much sensitive information and goes everywhere with you should be better safeguarded. So we decided to develop something both efficient and secure for your pockets. That's when Ekster® was born. A brand with the goal of optimizing the way you carry your everyday items. After meeting on a Fulbright scholarship in the USA, founders Rick and Olivier found that being Dutch wasn’t the only thing they had in common. They pitched their idea to a Kickstarter wallet enthusiast, Richard, and he was instantly sold. Together they realized that the perfect wallet wasn't only a dream; they just needed to create it. What started as a chance encounter between two Dutch college students grew into a shared passion for entrepreneurship, a frustration with existing EDC products and finally, a thriving business. 

Discount code: INVESTORSLAUNCHPAD15

https://ekster.com

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Kedma Ough, MBA, is a nationally recognized business development and business funding expert, innovation and entrepreneurship thought leader, award-winning champion of small business, and business advisor for independent inventors. She is also a proud fifth generation entrepreneur, whose great-great grandfather peddled various products across Ireland.

Throughout her career, Ough’s driving mission has been to empower people—particularly minorities, veterans, women, people with disabilities, and innovators—to become business owners and to maximize the potential of their businesses. To date, she has helped more than 10,000 individuals fund, launch, and grow their businesses, in a wide range of industries.

Program, the SBDC Cyber Security Center, the Youth Entrepreneurship Program, and the National Franchise Program. She is also the founder and business director of Avita, a business counseling firm in Portland, Oregon.

She is the past recipient of the SBA Women in Business Champion of the Year, SBA Small Business State Champion, and National Small Business Influencer Leadership awards, among others. Ough has also been recognized by the Huffington Post for fueling innovation and by Inc. Magazine for her work in creative financing for minority-owned businesses.

A contributor to Entrepreneur.com and a popular featured speaker, Ough writes and lectures on entrepreneurship, innovation, business development, business funding, and other topics. Her first book, Target Funding—a veritable GPS to proven funding solutions for creating, improving, or growing a business—will be published by McGraw-Hill Education in February 2019.

When she is not running around as a real-life superhero to the entrepreneurial community, she enjoys time with her family.

The Inventors Launchpad Network – Is proud to present Tuttle Innovation, Co-Hosted by Warren Tuttle and Carmine Denisco. Warren has served as President of the Board of Directors for the UIA since 2010, and is a prolific speaker at inventor clubs and industry tradeshows, where he shares his his extensive knowledge and expertise to help educate aspiring inventors, patent holders and product developers.  Warren wants to educate inventors using stories from the industries most influential people.

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Andrew Kavovit is the CEO and Founder of Hatched Business Solutions (HBS) a leading Product Agency and RetailTainment Specialist. With an early start as a creative entrepreneur, Kavovit found himself working as a professional actor at the age of 10 leading to a successful 25 year Commercial, Television and Film career which earned him an Emmy Award and Four Emmy Nominations. However, Andrew’s interest behind the camera led him to creating and producing content for companies such as Warner Brothers, MTV, The Hard Rock Resorts and Mattel. As creator and Executive Producer of the Television Series “Hatched” which aired on The CW, CBS and FOX Andrew blended his entertainment background with his passion for American Entrepreneurship and Invention.

Now, Kavovit’s focus is on running HBS which serves as a "Product Agency" connecting American Small Businesses with the Worlds Largest Retailers. Having the rare personal experience of successful appearances on SHARK TANK, MVP and HSN for his own products; Kavovit lends a unique perspective to small business owners across the country.

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Jeffrey B. Habersetzer

Jeff Habersetzer is a PNW native and University of Washington alumni.   In his early 20’s Jeff lived in Denver, while spending time as a financial underwriter for a large-scale student-housing developer.  Upon his return to Seattle, Jeff received his law degree while simultaneously pursuing his Master’s in Business Administration, from Seattle University.  Jeff specializes in corporate formation, consumer and vendor contracts, Terms of Service and Employment Agreements, and other aspects of business and real estate law.

Jeff places a high value on public service and currently volunteers his time at the Phinney Ridge Legal clinic, the Reach Enumclaw legal clinic, is a member of the King county Bar Association Public Policy Board, and serves as a Director on the Board of the Northwest Children’s Foundation.

https://www.habhamilton.com

The Inventors Launchpad Network – Is proud to present Go Big, Go Bold, Co-Hosted by J.D. Houvener, Registered USPTO Patent Attorney of Bold IP and Carmine Denisco, Managing Partner with Inventors Launchpad. His background in business and experience as an engineer and patent attorney empowers him to clearly communicate to a broad range of inventors about their immediate and long-term needs for patenting in order to protect assets, leverage opportunities, and limit liabilities. If you have any questions on the legal side of your invention then this podcast is sure to help!

www.boldip.com

This Podcast is brought to you by the Inventors Launchpad Network.

www.inventorslaunchpad.com     

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Leila Nosrati, Principal, Master Toy Advisors

Leila Nosrati is an accomplished retail merchant with 16 years of experience managing several of the largest toy categories. Through her consulting firm, Master Toy Advisors, she uses her extensive product and industry knowledge and her passion for toys and character licenses to guide inventors, entrepreneurs, and product developers as they formulate their pitches and presentations to retail buyers. Most recently she has joined The Canadian Group as head of inventor relations & new product acquisitions. Leila received her MBA from Columbia Business School and her BA from UCLA. She was honored as the 2013 Wonder Woman of Toys in Retail.

If you invent products or have a start-up that's ready for retail, the Get Retail Ready podcast is THE place to hear stories and gain knowledge with the Get Retail Ready guy Jim DeBetta!   Jim is a renowned retail selling expert having sold over 100 million dollars worth of products to the world's leading retailers!  Knowing the ins and outs of preparing to and selling to major retailers takes knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm.   Join us each week to get the inside scoop on how to make YOUR invention a success!

www.weknowbusiness.info

The Inventors Launchpad – Roadmap to Success Series is presented by Inventors Launchpad in beautiful Tampa Bay, FL and hosted by Carmine Denisco. Carmine is an accomplished Author, Entrepreneur, Inventor and Co-founder/Managing Partner of Inventors Launchpad.  Along with his business partner Rick Valderrama has changed the face of the invention industry and look forward to helping inventors from all over the world move their ideas forward. For more information please visit www.inventorslaunchpad.com

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Jon LaClare interviews his good friend and longtime DRTV media partner, Scott Kowalchek.  Scott is the founder and CEO of directAVENUE, one of the largest and most respected Direct Response Television media buyers in the industry.

Scott shares how the industry has changed over the past few years and what you can do to capitalize on the changes to be as successful as ever.  If you are looking to launch or grow your business with Direct Response Television marketing, this is a must-listen-to episode!