[NEW EPISODE] Invent the Future: Diverse Innovators Driving U.S. Growth!

Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am (EDT)

EPISODE SUMMARY:

They will learn about the "journey" independent inventors take in bringing their product ideas to market. They will learn how New England Invents is willing and able to provide help and guidance in helping with this commercialization process.

Lexa is the Executive Director of New England Invents. Her passion for inventing and helping other inventors is fueled by lessons learned with her product invention, Cargo Caddie, a stable trunk shelf that nearly doubles usable trunk space for most SUVs/CUVs  in the market. She licensed Cargo Caddie in May 2023 and has begun developing several other consumer products.

Name of your organization: New England Invents Website: www.neinvents.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexa-gandolfo-2b317a1

Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc

Show Notes

‍Segment 1

Segment 2

Segment 3

‍Segment 4

Transcript

00:00:40.080 --> 00:00:41.119 Tommy DiMisa: what's up world?

00:00:41.400 --> 00:01:07.700 Tommy DiMisa: Dubois? Back the nonprofit sector, connector, the one, and only when you create a name for yourself, you are the one and only the nonprofit sector connector. But I have decided that as I meet more incredible people in the nonprofit sector who are playing connector. I'm like, you're a nonprofit sector connector. You're a nonprofit sector. It's like, when Oprah gave away all those cars, you know. I get to have all my friends become nonprofit sector. Connectors love the pause. Tommy D.

00:01:08.930 --> 00:01:31.239 Tommy DiMisa: Namaste. Everybody just shows philanthropy and focus Namaste Namaste in the attic. That's what I do. I walk 2 flights up from the kitchen all the time, but especially on a Friday morning. I it's my most fired up I get because I get to meet with, connect with and learn about another nonprofit organization and their important leader. On my show my mission called Philanthropy in

00:01:31.240 --> 00:01:56.800 Tommy DiMisa: focus. I wrote a poem while we were waiting while the music was playing. And I'm gonna read it to you right now. And this is just how it goes. Sometimes you gotta just do it be creative? You don't know who you often don't know where. Keep your eyes and ears wide open. Make those connections develop your network. I don't know if it's a poem. I know it doesn't rhyme, but it tells a story, and I thought it would be important to tell the story, because my

00:01:57.230 --> 00:02:01.599 Tommy DiMisa: new friend, my new guest, my guest, this morning. Lexa Gandolfo.

00:02:02.190 --> 00:02:29.999 Tommy DiMisa: Right, Gandalf. I wanna make sure you hit it right. I'm very important. Names are very important. Lexie Gandolfo was introduced to me at an event by a guy named Lee Tucker, the nonprofit. Guru. Haha! Why, I think we hang out. We actually brought me in a gang and nonprofit folks and some consultants to the Taylor Swift Museum in New York City is not like, I don't think the whole museum yeah, right, Lexa. Love to get into that. The whole museum is not like a Taylor swift thing, but they have, like a Taylor swift.

00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:32.620 Tommy DiMisa: Guess you should say exhibit.

00:02:32.620 --> 00:03:00.689 Tommy DiMisa: And we had this dosent that walked us around. And there's some pictures out there on the Internet where at least got his red cowboy hat, and I got my pink linen suit with a straw hat, cause it was sort of spring, ish summer ish, so so we kinda we're in those it was in that that era of the year eras like the Eris tour. Huh! I've become a bit of a swifty. I gotta be honest, I do have 2 sons, but I also have 2 daughters and

00:03:00.880 --> 00:03:03.470 Tommy DiMisa: It was funny, cause last night I'm talking to some people.

00:03:04.050 --> 00:03:14.529 Tommy DiMisa: and something comes up about Taylor. Swift did not know we would start to show today. Lexa, talk about Taylor Swift. I had no idea until it until this just started. So

00:03:14.540 --> 00:03:27.789 Tommy DiMisa: The the chiefs, the Kansas City chiefs, came to play the New York jets not too long ago, and all of my children and my wife wanted to go to that game all for different reasons, and we're not even jets fans. But where, by my my boys, love the chiefs.

00:03:28.690 --> 00:03:48.799 Tommy DiMisa: my daughters now like the chiefs. Obviously, because there's this whole Travis Kelsey Taylor Swift connection gang. If you didn't show up for this, then I don't know what you showed up for, because this is stream of conscious to say, Your boy does it? This is part of the show. So I got to go to that museum, and have yet to take my daughters and their friends, which I'm going to. It's in New York City.

00:03:48.800 --> 00:04:00.229 Tommy DiMisa: It's I'll get you to. Maybe I'll get you to address in the information during one of our breaks where the Taylor Swift Museum is. Are you, Lexa Gandalf? Not knowing it? That I would ask you, are you a swifty?

00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:10.249 Lexa Gandolfo: Not a swift deep, but I appreciate her talent, and I appreciate how I think she's ingenious. I mean, she's

00:04:10.500 --> 00:04:25.320 Tommy DiMisa: one of the most talented musicians, probably of our generation. Yeah. And II think and it's funny. I just realized why this is coming up for me. This is the universe bringing this to this I just heard recently it was like on Bloomberg radio, like in the last couple of weeks

00:04:25.320 --> 00:04:41.530 Tommy DiMisa: that Taylor's tour just ticket sales was approaching 1 billion dollars in ticket sales. Just the tour, not the merch. Not that this, not the hot dog you got for 11 bucks in the, you know, in the outside the stadium all that so

00:04:41.530 --> 00:04:47.910 Lexa Gandolfo: real quick, apparently I read that she's given a lot of them. The proceeds

00:04:47.910 --> 00:05:12.700 Tommy DiMisa: to the people who like her crew, and the guys, the guys and gals who are like roadies, the people driving trucks like she freaking gets it. I love that. And that's another reason why, whether you're a fan of the music, you're not a fan. We you could be a fan of the person, and the way cause that to me she's the leader right? She's the CEO of this organization right? She's the talent, but she's the business again.

00:05:12.700 --> 00:05:23.359 Tommy DiMisa: I don't know her. I've never spoken her as an outsider looking in that. So it looks like, here's where I think this draws a parallel to what you and I are. Gonna talk about because she's a business person. She is

00:05:23.360 --> 00:05:31.660 Tommy DiMisa: an inventor. She happens to have the talent right, and she's a songwriter, and she's incredible right. All the awards the whole deal.

00:05:31.910 --> 00:05:53.239 Tommy DiMisa: But it's a business, too, right? There's a business to this. So she's a creator in the sense of like my wonderful poem that I created just moments ago. But it's also creator in the sense of she's created this business. This II mean. You know what it is. I think of her. I think something my friend Michael Goldberg talks about. It's gravity. She's got gravity, like, you know, like, so

00:05:53.240 --> 00:06:13.139 Tommy DiMisa: let's that's it. I had no intention of bringing up Taylor Swift other than I had to say. If it wasn't for knowing lead talker, I don't get to meet with you because Lee does these networking events couple of times a month a whole bunch of nonprofit folks get together 95, a hundred people, and you and I had the opportunity end up in a breakout room on Zoom, and you talk about what to do, and I'm like Dude.

00:06:13.220 --> 00:06:36.090 Tommy DiMisa: I will have you on my show. Would you like to come on my show? And that's exactly how it happened again. That's how my life is. So if I'm lying, I'm dying, anyway. So what do? What do you think about that had? That's a good way to say way right? What you do at New England events. As the executive director. We're gonna tell stories and things like that. But she's an inventor, too, right? It's not just somebody who tinkers in the in the in the shop, right.

00:06:36.160 --> 00:06:39.640 Lexa Gandolfo: Nope, Nope, Nope, independent inventors like me.

00:06:39.760 --> 00:06:57.339 Lexa Gandolfo:  are are from all different backgrounds. They're not like the crazy, wacky old dude in the garage. They're just people who see a problem, an everyday problem and come up with a solution to it that's new and novel. And then, if they're if we're lucky enough.

00:06:57.390 --> 00:07:01.489 Lexa Gandolfo: we find an opportunity to commercialize that invention.

00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:17.650 Tommy DiMisa: It's funny, one of my favorite characters in like, and this is one of my favorite movies, one of my favorite actors growing up. He played Alex. P. Keaton on family ties, right? Michael J. Fox, I I've always loved Michael J. Fox, and

00:07:17.680 --> 00:07:41.249 Tommy DiMisa: one of my favorite movies growing up. I think maybe you know where I'm going was movie. Hold back to the future. And you, said the wacky old guy, you know, tinkering or or right inventing, and I think it, Doc Brown. I just think right like Marty they found us. It's the Libyans. I don't know how, but they found us run for Marty. All this kind of like that is that I don't know if this is the right word. That quintessential inventor guy like that's it, Tinker, trying to save things change the world

00:07:41.250 --> 00:07:59.760 Lexa Gandolfo: traveling time. All this kind of cool stuff. However, that's not what everybody looks like. It's not well, most of them look like people like that, too. II appreciate those kind of wacky men and women, but a lot of them are just everyday. I mean, I used to

00:07:59.950 --> 00:08:15.170 Lexa Gandolfo: run a software development company before I sold it. I then stayed home with my kids for 10 years, and then I kept track of a number of ideas that I had, one of which is the cargo caddy which I license in May

00:08:15.170 --> 00:08:32.260 Tommy DiMisa: May May of this year of 23. So let's let's go back because II have my notes. I wanna hear about cargo, Caddy, but I take me back if you could. To. Who is who is Lexa? You know? What did that, either? You know II in this case I usually say, what drew you to nonprofit work, quote unquote in this case.

00:08:32.260 --> 00:08:46.689 Tommy DiMisa: II don't know. If that's even an appropriate question, because now you're running this nonprofit organization. But I think it's through a different door. You came through the inventor door, so to speak, in my, in my, from my assessment. So for you, what's your background? What talk to me about your journey.

00:08:46.920 --> 00:08:53.959 Lexa Gandolfo: Okay? So in 2019, this was about

00:08:54.070 --> 00:09:12.210 Lexa Gandolfo: 10 years after I had taken time off in between the sale, my software and website development company and having my 3 kids around 2019, I decided. Alright. The kids are all in school now. Have more time on my hands. I've been keeping track of these

00:09:12.260 --> 00:09:33.169 Lexa Gandolfo: kind of solutions to everyday problems that I've been having over the last 10 years. You know, mom, 3 little kids, I'm gonna I'm I'm I'm gonna take a good stab at one of them, and I went to this conference. At the Uspto that it's here in in Alexandria. I'm I'm located outside of DC.

00:09:33.700 --> 00:10:00.980 Lexa Gandolfo: And just to learn about intellectual property. Figure out what I needed to do for cargo, Caddy, as far as it's called provisional patent getting it filed, and then converting that to a utility patent. And I just I really wanted to just learn as much as I could as quickly as I could about the role of independent inventing, because it's it's undocumented. People call kind of like the Wild West. There's lots of bad actors in in this

00:10:00.980 --> 00:10:13.869 Lexa Gandolfo: feel do want to take advantage of independent inventors. There's a lot of good people to but there's no road roadmap. There's no how to so so it sounds like, you know.

00:10:14.390 --> 00:10:15.600 Tommy DiMisa: a.

00:10:16.300 --> 00:10:40.209 Tommy DiMisa: It sounds like there's not really like a a a sure or Sherpa a guide and navigator. For these individuals. It almost feels for me, and again, and I don't know enough about what I'm about to say. But that's part of my show. I say things and people comment. Say, Tommy, I don't think you're right, and then we'll talk about. But II think, in terms of you know certainly that, like music industry, or Hollywood, even, you know, sometimes young people, or maybe not so young people

00:10:40.750 --> 00:10:57.899 Tommy DiMisa: are ambitious, and they want to do the thing, and maybe they end up in contracts that aren't the best and don't cover them. The best interests II think of of, you know. Certainly some groups. II grew up listening to that. That ended up not in not in a good way financially, but the Record company sure made a bunch of dough. So again, there's always going to be

00:10:58.040 --> 00:11:15.690 Tommy DiMisa:  This is a fun word to say. So we're gonna be charlatans. There's always gonna be some some opportunities trying to take advantage of someone else's work. So I guess, without the Right Trade Association, the right advocates the right guidance like, which is, I think, what your organization does. You sort of like, oh, no. Right? So talk to me about that.

00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:26.969 Lexa Gandolfo: Yeah, no, that's that's exactly right. And I think in other industries like you said, there's always going to be bad actors. There are always going to be people who are looking at for themselves, not for the people who they're serving.

00:11:27.040 --> 00:11:29.119 Lexa Gandolfo: but with independent inventing.

00:11:29.130 --> 00:11:41.299 Lexa Gandolfo: There's far fewer organizations like New England events, who are actually looking out for the best interests of the people we serve. They're just. They just aren't that many of them. There are a handful of them, but

00:11:41.610 --> 00:11:44.049 Lexa Gandolfo: I think we're outnumbered by

00:11:44.140 --> 00:11:49.200 Lexa Gandolfo: the types who will just take a bunch of money upfront from people and

00:11:49.410 --> 00:12:00.670 Lexa Gandolfo: promise them the world and then not deliver. And it's it's to. I mean, there's a couple of different things at play. A lot of independent inventors are

00:12:00.740 --> 00:12:03.939 Lexa Gandolfo: very creative sort of

00:12:04.070 --> 00:12:06.850 Lexa Gandolfo:  I want to use a word.

00:12:06.920 --> 00:12:22.270 Lexa Gandolfo: Certainly.

00:12:22.270 --> 00:12:44.149 Tommy DiMisa: you know, it's like, Wow, you could really benefit from having a Co type that sits next to you, Mister Mrs. Executive Director, because I love you. I love your fire. I love what you're doing. However, like we gotta do these things more of a business person than I just happen to have.

00:12:44.150 --> 00:13:10.420 Lexa Gandolfo: I think, a a good idea that I brought to market. But there are people on all all along the spectrum. And there's plenty of people at the far end of the spectrum who are just extremely bright, very creative, have great ideas, but don't have the first idea of how to bring those ideas to market, because it it yeah, it's great. If you invent something, if you even if you get it patented, but if you don't

00:13:10.710 --> 00:13:17.160 Lexa Gandolfo: make any money from it. in the independent inventing role, it doesn't necessarily

00:13:17.370 --> 00:13:37.840 Lexa Gandolfo: do you any good. When I say, independent, vending world. I mean, there are plenty of inventors who work at big companies like Ge. Or Ibm, or wherever and they they develop new and novel ways of doing things. And they're listed on patents, and they're their salary. They're paid. And you know, they don't need to worry about getting that

00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:44.980 Lexa Gandolfo: development to market, independent inventor like me and the other people we work with and the people we help.

00:13:45.060 --> 00:13:48.259 Lexa Gandolfo: There's no kind of big brother

00:13:48.290 --> 00:13:55.549 Lexa Gandolfo: over top of you paying your bills. So there's be a way to to commercialize what you've

00:13:56.040 --> 00:14:19.799 Tommy DiMisa: well, I think it takes. Here's what I'm hearing from you. We're gonna go and break in a sec here. But what I'm hearing from you is, there's so many disciplines now that this entrepreneur who happens to be an inventor, it's not an entrepreneur who owns a sandwich shop, or who practices law or professional service company like that. But now they are the whole thing. They're they're the inventor. So so it sounds like, you know, and and first of all, I always found it funny when I would go work for a company.

00:14:19.800 --> 00:14:41.310 Tommy DiMisa: I would have to sign these things that say anything that I came up with in my brain while I was working at that company didn't belong to me. There's one of the reasons why I'm not employed, you know. But it it's there's a lot of other ones. I'm not the greatest employee. I'm a hard worker, but I'm not a really good employee. But I think about that like versus what you've said like these people who are independent inventors, and that their role.

00:14:41.310 --> 00:15:05.920 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, it's great. But I actually gotta sell some of these things like either either exhibit A or exhibit ZI gotta sell a bunch of this stuff. So you know. So I can put, you know a meal on the on the table right? So there's a lot that goes into this. And I think I know we're gonna get into more of it as we go through this morning's conversation. I don't know. II mean, I pulled up cargo. Caddy's website. I mean, that looks really cool. I wanna so I wanna this kind of fun because we get to hear about your journey.

00:15:05.920 --> 00:15:11.519 Tommy DiMisa: And then also what New England invents is doing for the the membership, and

00:15:12.030 --> 00:15:24.160 Tommy DiMisa: and only knowing you a little bit. We spoke yesterday. We spoke of about, you know, 3, 4 weeks ago through the connection with Lee. Excuse me. I get this. The fact that you know it's one of those situations you really.

00:15:24.160 --> 00:15:50.999 Tommy DiMisa: truly care about these other people, and they're so. So they're not screwed over. Excuse my language are not jammed up, and they're not taking advantage of in that right. And I appreciate that. Yeah. So we're gonna talk about that. We're gonna talk about the connection to the military. And so no, we're talking about an event. You did just Wednesday night, which is 2 days ago. I wanna hear about that. I must only cause, he commented 3 times on Facebook and stuff like that. I got a shout out Mick Collins, who actually is down in Gaithersburg.

00:15:51.000 --> 00:16:00.539 Tommy DiMisa: So not too far, I'm sure, from where you are. So Mick is with a company called paid forward, processing. Good friend of me, good friend of my show, and what they do excuse me

00:16:01.100 --> 00:16:18.960 Tommy DiMisa: is they provide merchant processing with a with a spin, so they give back their proceeds. A a portion of the net proceeds back to nonprofit organizations, and since you guys are not too far from each other, I assume, in that whole Delmarva. Dmv. Which I found out. Is not

00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:48.829 Tommy DiMisa: It's not the department of motor vehicles. When you say, are you from down that way anytime, somebody, because I'm a wise guy anytime. Somebody tells me. Dmv, I'm like, Oh, man, I don't want to go wait in lines and stuff like that like that's like a pain to give you a ticket now, like J. One, you feel like you're at Bingo. Well, there's no be. There's no J. And Bingo. Maybe it's alright, Tommy, you're losing it.

00:16:49.060 --> 00:17:07.100 Tommy DiMisa: We will be right back, II promise you. We'd be silly and zany. I know, I said, that to you. So that's part of the deal. It's just part of you. Punch your ticket, Lexis. How it is you're in the show now. Alright, we will be right back. Lexan, Tommy, have it. Some laughs making some waves making the world a better place, you know. But you know I say no big deal. Just change in the world. Let's go to Commercial Logan. We'll be right back.

00:19:16.750 --> 00:19:32.690 Tommy DiMisa: about 2 years ago, when started this show. III knew Sam Lee boys who founded this company talk radio that. Nyc. Oh, we're back. It's philanthropy and focus. I you know. I knew Sam Leeboards and says Uplift, educate and empower. And I didn't even realize

00:19:32.690 --> 00:19:57.069 Tommy DiMisa: that it said that until like the first couple of shows and I was like, that's exactly what my show does. That's what we're doing here, uplift, educate and empower. And I think that's what an organization like yours is doing, Lexa. And and it's like looking out for people educating them. We're gonna talk about all that now. But I did share. While we went to break. I shared the website with cargo, Caddy and I'm gonna share some pictures again, just in case anybody stepped away during a break. And if you are only listening and not watching, go to the website

00:19:57.320 --> 00:20:04.850 Lexa Gandolfo: Acg designs net, that's correct. That's where they want to go. Yep, or you can go to get cargo. Caddy CADD. IE.

00:20:04.900 --> 00:20:15.249 Lexa Gandolfo: Let me explain real quick. I license the product to a company in May, and they're going to manufacture it.

00:20:15.370 --> 00:20:20.919 Lexa Gandolfo: sell it, distribute market it all that. So it's not actually for sale on that website

00:20:21.170 --> 00:20:43.289 Tommy DiMisa: meant to be just a marketing material. That was the pitch, the product right to got it. So which one do you want me to show then? So I go back to showing this these pictures real quick, and then we'll get back into talking about the organization. But I have 4 children, as

00:20:43.300 --> 00:20:55.079 Tommy DiMisa: formally mentioned earlier today. And I will just make a joke, because that's kind of what I do when we have our first child. We had a Nissan Altima, and we had gone on a vacation.

00:20:55.330 --> 00:21:03.350 Tommy DiMisa: and I don't understand how a new son ultimately was not big enough for 2 adults, one kid. And I'm talking about going away for like 3 days there was like not enough room.

00:21:03.350 --> 00:21:26.839 Tommy DiMisa: And now I don't need to like. So if you're looking at the pictures right now, this is like a. This is like a, you know, Monday morning, basically, you know, couple of bags of food like sports equipment. I broke my toe last year because some people, some small people who live in my house decided that lacrosse sticks and baseball bats were best served right outside the front door of the house. So that's how I broke my big toe. I don't think the cargo Caddy Coulda helped with that.

00:21:26.900 --> 00:21:38.329 Tommy DiMisa: Because unless they had one on the porch, so you'll just see, like some of the things like. And these are. This is what you said, and this I want to go back to what we said earlier, because I wrote it down because I think it's so important.

00:21:39.450 --> 00:21:52.240 Tommy DiMisa: It's not always about like signing over like, how do we get to Mars or electric vehicles shout out to Elon or doing like wild things like that. What you said is

00:21:52.270 --> 00:22:02.689 Tommy DiMisa: solutions to everyday problems like this thing is a pain in the neck. It drives me crazy. It happens all the time, and I just deal with it. It's like

00:22:02.910 --> 00:22:14.589 Tommy DiMisa: It's like the check engine light sometimes in your car. I don't know if anybody's ever done this like, you know, if you ever, if you've done this before you like make, but you take like a sticky note, and you put it over the check engine line all of a sudden. Everything's fine.

00:22:15.890 --> 00:22:33.139 Tommy DiMisa: Sometimes people do that with their human body, too, but that's a whole. I don't worry about it walking off, but I think in in terms of there are these little like finicky things per stickity thing. They just drive us freaking crazy. And then so somebody goes.

00:22:33.140 --> 00:22:52.029 Lexa Gandolfo: I'm gonna solve that problem. So tell me, if you could, before we go back to the organization. Let's talk about what was driving you nuts. And I, you have children. I have children. So I why did this become a thing? So I have 3 kids. And when I came up with the idea for cargo, Caddy, my 2 older kids were

00:22:53.410 --> 00:23:07.779 Lexa Gandolfo: 3 and one, they're about 20 months apart, and so maybe a little younger than 3. So I always had a double stroller back of my suburban, which is that big Chevy Suburban

00:23:08.180 --> 00:23:19.579 Lexa Gandolfo: and II couldn't take it in and out of the car all the time. It's too heavy, and I usually had a baby in one arm, so I would leave it in the in the trunk.

00:23:19.660 --> 00:23:34.799 Lexa Gandolfo: And then, when I went to the grocery store, for example, I would always have to pile things on top of the double stroller, or if I had packages, or as as my son got hold of sports equipment, it was an absolute mess. I don't even think the pictures you just show.

00:23:34.950 --> 00:23:55.969 Lexa Gandolfo: do justice to how and like I would open up the truck and stuff would fall out, and I would. I was so annoyed. This trunk is enormous, Chevy suburban, Chevy suburban, and there was so much trunk space. But there was no way to use it, because

00:23:56.140 --> 00:24:25.769 Lexa Gandolfo: Svd trunks are are shaped like boxes. Do you have all this force based? And then tons of space up above the floor? But it just goes on use. And I used to be like man. It would be so cool if I could just have a shelf or something like that, where I could have a second level storage space up above the trunk floor, and I looked everywhere for a product like that, like I didn't set out to invent this. I just needed it for myself. So II you know I had

00:24:25.770 --> 00:24:49.519 Lexa Gandolfo: kept looking around. Never found anything. I just like you, said I just dealt. I put the sticker over there and then finally, when you know, like, I said, after taking some time off with my kids, and I decided when I decided to jump back into to to working. Did you have when you were had your software company and and website? Were you?

00:24:49.650 --> 00:25:00.250 Lexa Gandolfo: Was that your nature to it to be inventive like? Do you have that streak already like? Is that already there is a burning desire to do that.

00:25:00.610 --> 00:25:29.789 Lexa Gandolfo: It is A is back before a lot of this plug and play stuff which I think is awesome. I love the open source movement, and I love how people borrow and and put things together, and but it was back kind of before that. It was in the early 2 thousands. So everything we did was custom. You really did have to be a problem solver. And I think that's like II keep going back to that. But I think that's what's most important in the realm of inventing. You're just

00:25:29.790 --> 00:25:35.170 Lexa Gandolfo: you're solving problems. So with the all of the the programming, we did.

00:25:35.210 --> 00:25:57.689 Lexa Gandolfo: and I really sort of just did the business development. I'm not a a real heavy duty programmer. I know I understand it, but I don't do it. But our team I meant we had to come up with custom solutions to problems that our clients had. And they were all, most of them were web based. So we were. We were solving problems every day.

00:25:57.760 --> 00:26:17.090 Tommy DiMisa: That's awesome. Yeah, II, my wife is like this man. She's like, I don't know. She's like she likes to solve these problems like around the house and stuff like that, and I could see her like getting charged up about being plugged into an organization like yours, like I don't know that she would think of herself as an inventor.

00:26:17.630 --> 00:26:33.010 Tommy DiMisa: but she's always got a project so like, let me give you a quick. For instance, I don't usually talk personal stuff, and this is not that personal, but day, one of Covid, March thirteenth, that Friday, that Friday, the thirteenth March thirteenth, 2,020 right people are ordering. What are we doing ordering licol.

00:26:33.210 --> 00:26:42.200 Lexa Gandolfo: We're ordering paper towels, rotting wipes, and right toilet paper, right? Because that was going to be gone. We who knew was gonna all be gone right.

00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:59.950 Tommy DiMisa: and we ordered I didn't. But, my! We there were 600 pavers delivered to the house, and I think 3 or 4 yards of sand in anticipation from home depot in anticipation to build a patio. Okay? So

00:27:00.120 --> 00:27:08.909 Tommy DiMisa: And she did. And she did phenomenal job. And I didn't help at all, because that is not exactly my skill set, although I think I probably move some sand around and stuff like that.

00:27:09.450 --> 00:27:15.549 Tommy DiMisa: I was working. I was up here in the attic right running the business, calling clients right? I was up in the attic

00:27:15.650 --> 00:27:17.450 Tommy DiMisa: and

00:27:18.130 --> 00:27:47.900 Tommy DiMisa: That to me is like just she loves that stuff. She's always gotta have a project on. It's gotta be a project. It's gotta be, which is fine. I think that list. This is I. It serves her. She gets fired up about it right? Ha! And not, however. And I think, she, this will resonate this type of conversation with with people like her and her specifically, just because it's generally like, Wow, that's fires me up. I could do some. I wanna solve a problem. This thing, this bug, a boo, is driving me crazy, and I'm tired of it, and let me just go. And I love, even in your sense like how great

00:27:47.910 --> 00:27:50.840 Tommy DiMisa: what you've created here is super cool, right? And

00:27:50.870 --> 00:27:56.169 Tommy DiMisa: this is the kind of thing like many of us. I'll just say for myself, like yo, somebody had to make that already.

00:27:56.520 --> 00:28:01.250 Tommy DiMisa: you know that like thing, when we see like somebody pro, somebody's gotta have solved this problem, this freaking.

00:28:01.480 --> 00:28:14.190 Tommy DiMisa: I only 8 billion people on the planet that we've been doing stuff for thousands and thousands of years. Somebody solve for this and guess what they had not. Because II know you probably scoured the Internet looking for, and it wasn't there, otherwise you would have invented it right?

00:28:14.370 --> 00:28:37.569 Lexa Gandolfo: II wanna bring something up really quick. You spoke about your wife, and she's like, do it yourself. There's a a radio show that another radio show I've been on a couple of times called Invent America and our our friend or New England. Rita Crompton is the Co. Host, and it's a radio show

00:28:37.820 --> 00:28:51.699 Lexa Gandolfo: for home improvement. Do it yourself. Kind of projects. But and it was a natural extension for them to add Rita. And she's in the independent inventing world. So yes, the 2 worlds crossover.

00:28:52.190 --> 00:29:13.399 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, it makes sense because you're solving a problem, plus, I think these people and not all. I don't. Wanna. I hate to put people in a like general situation, but I think a lot of people are handy people. They like to touch things like to play thing, play with things. I mean. I remember I got it. Who knew I would talk about this ever on the show when we were kids. My brother?

00:29:13.500 --> 00:29:14.739 Tommy DiMisa: so.

00:29:14.930 --> 00:29:38.259 Tommy DiMisa: Bob Vila, I don't know if you're we're similar in age, Bob villa, this old house my brother used to love watching that show, and he used to drive me crazy. I was like, Oh, come on, man, okay, and like my father would always make this joke, because whenever there was work being done around my house, meaning my father would be doing work, and my brother would often go help him, he would always say, You know, the fortunate thing is, we never had a TV stolen in our home ever in all the years, because my son Thomas was always watching it.

00:29:39.810 --> 00:30:09.189 Tommy DiMisa: Okay, laugh everybody as a joke. That's when the applause sign should be flashing for you. That was what my old man would say, cause I would never help. It was not my I I'll you wanna hire somebody to paint the house for you, dad, I'll I'll take care of that. I'm not. I don't wanna paint the house. I don't wanna hammer nails. I was watching TV man. Those Tvs would be gone if it wasn't for the hard work I put in watching those again. Alex P. Keaton. We started talking about that, but my brother also, aside from loving that show. This old house with Bob. Vila

00:30:09.730 --> 00:30:39.100 Tommy DiMisa: would take things apart, him and his friend Charles they would take apart like cars like, and it was these motors in cars, and they would hold like a 9 volt. Battery to the 2 little things on the back of the, and then it would have a little spinner, and they would have these little motors all over the all over the frigging house. They would be plastic buckets full of these motors, and these are the 2 guys who used to catch lizards, and that was their deal. But they I never. I hadn't told anybody about that, probably, and never, probably 30 years. I've never thought about this, but you know my brother

00:30:39.100 --> 00:30:52.589 Tommy DiMisa: leads businesses. He's a he runs a very successful business. He's a hell of an entrepreneur, and I think, and I, he is an inventor in a different vein at this point, you know, like creates businesses. He's a leader. So

00:30:52.600 --> 00:31:19.180 Lexa Gandolfo: like I like. We started off the show with the Taylor swift thing like inventing doesn't necessarily mean, in my opinion, and correct me. If I'm wrong before we go to break like it doesn't mean I have to put a thing together like a physical, tangible thing. It could be inventing processes, procedures, right? Other things. Well, that that's right, and I know we have to go to a break. But when we come back and we talk about the military had the other night. There was some who pitched a concept, and it

00:31:19.210 --> 00:31:43.719 Tommy DiMisa: was an invention. It wasn't a physical product. So yes, to your question, I love it so that it was so. New England events had an event. December sixth, which is just a couple of nights ago, as we sit here on December eighth, it was a unique opportunity for military personnel, retired veterans and families of military service, men and women, to showcase their entrepreneurial spirit and innovation, and all were welcome to attend. It says all are welcome to attend, but it happened already, so you can't go there now.

00:31:43.720 --> 00:32:07.959 Tommy DiMisa: I would love to plug in and come up to to Massachusetts, for for I don't know where Haber Hill is, but you'll tell me. Oh, it's way up there. Okay, cool so. But I would love to do. What about a road show, Tommy? D, that sounds fun. We are gonna put a quick break as we both talked about. I'll share some information on my screen while we go to break about that most recent event. And let's talk about it.

00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:36.740 Tommy DiMisa: We'll talk Pro. We come back programming the military focus. You know how how there might be opportunities. Shout out to Mick Collins again. Because, Mick, how do we plug our friends into? You know the veteran community. Mick is a veteran. We appreciate your service, and he had introduced me to a woman named Daddy, who does a lot with helping veterans get access to their benefits. She's been on the show. She runs another nonprofit. There's so much here. I see you're ready to say something. I gotta pause. You! I gotta pause me. We'll go to a break right back. Lexan. Tommy. D

00:33:26.820 --> 00:33:32.570 tune in. Live on talk radio, Nyc. Fridays at noon, Eastern and Intangi. Your business today

00:34:36.570 --> 00:34:55.219 Tommy DiMisa: and join me in the attic. That's what we do. Every Friday morning. The show is called Philanthropy and focus. The guy is called Tommy D. And if you want to connect with me follow me on Instagram, and I have some fun on there, Tommy, d Nyc, if you want to send me an email, Tommy D. At philanthropy and focus pho, cus, PHOC, us, yeah, that's right.

00:34:55.219 --> 00:35:21.899 Tommy DiMisa: Uhcom. And then just look for me, man, I'm there. I'm right out there somewhere. You'll find me alright, Lexa. I was sharing some stuff while we went to break about. We talked about this. There's certainly a military focus of your organization, both for servicemen and women, and obviously their families as we reference. So let's kinda can we construct that? Or let's let's tell him from the top of why, there's that focus. And then let's talk about what happened Wednesday night, please, if we can. Absolutely. So. There is

00:35:22.100 --> 00:35:29.539 Lexa Gandolfo: one of the sort of I don't wanna call it vertical. But sectors of people we help our military veterans?

00:35:29.650 --> 00:35:44.130 Lexa Gandolfo: But it's certainly not the only focus. We also have a section of our of our reach that is K through 12 youth and innovation. So kids, we work with

00:35:44.130 --> 00:36:09.550 Lexa Gandolfo: a number of different organizations who are involved with stem and with innovation and with getting kids interested in the idea of pursuing a career and independent inventing right out of right out of high school and college. And I I've I've been one of these people that is.

00:36:09.590 --> 00:36:20.560 Tommy DiMisa: I don't believe that everybody needs to go to college or university, and that's a whole conversation, you know. You wanna talk to me about it, you know. Send me an email catch up. But I don't. I? That's a whole thing about that. And

00:36:20.660 --> 00:36:22.540 Tommy DiMisa: you know a lot of kids

00:36:23.020 --> 00:36:48.570 Tommy DiMisa: are bored in school with the the typical curriculum, whether they have some sort of learning disability, whether they have the Adhd or not, whether they just or sometimes this stuff is just not exciting or interesting. Sorry gang. There we go. But what if we can pour into these kids what they are fired up about. I'm like I have to send to my kids, Dad, I hate school. That's what I hear. I don't say that to my kids. They say that I hate. I go do me a favor.

00:36:49.170 --> 00:36:55.550 Tommy DiMisa: I gotta get you through. I gotta get you through high school. I need you to get through high school right? So.

00:36:56.600 --> 00:36:57.630 Tommy DiMisa: however.

00:36:57.940 --> 00:37:22.410 Tommy DiMisa: find something that you're super fired up about, and we'll go on your demi. I'll buy you classes. I'll get you a tutor. It doesn't have to be like, you know the core like, Hey, I wanna play the saxophone alright, or I wanna be a singer, and if it is that awesome. I'm all in. I'll help you with that. I gotta get you out of high school. It's what I gotta do right. That's that's a non-negotiable. I'm sorry that right that one doesn't work. I can't. We're gonna have a real difficult time.

00:37:22.410 --> 00:37:28.899 Tommy DiMisa: you know, over the next 70 years of your life. If we didn't even just get you the the High School equivalents piece. Let's get that.

00:37:28.900 --> 00:37:45.990 Tommy DiMisa: however, while that's going on. I need you to do that from from 8 to 2, 8 to 2, 40. Whatever the timing is, let's pour into you something else. So the fact that you're so focused I wanna hear about that. I wanna hear about the military. We got time to get both in the tell me about the K through 12 piece, because these kids must be totally like.

00:37:45.990 --> 00:37:58.650 Tommy DiMisa: like, I could just see the neurons. I don't know if I could actually see neurons. But in my mind's eye I visualize. They're like fired up like they're turned on versus like, Oh, this sucks to there. Tell me about some of that experience, cause that's gonna charge you up.

00:37:58.670 --> 00:38:02.519 Lexa Gandolfo: It's it's it's one of my favorite things to do is

00:38:02.740 --> 00:38:09.619 Lexa Gandolfo: we're often asked by one of our partners, innovation world, run by Julie Shively. To

00:38:10.180 --> 00:38:32.880 Lexa Gandolfo: be judges or panelists for these pitch competitions that that kids get. And you, Tommy, it's unbelievable how well prepared, how smart, how creative these kids are! They are coming up. And they're we're not talking about like trinkets. We're talking about ways to harness

00:38:33.030 --> 00:38:41.579 Lexa Gandolfo: energy from like a a exercise machine that will then power part of their house, they thought through.

00:38:41.590 --> 00:38:49.669 Tommy DiMisa: Give me your big give me give me one like, give me an anecdote. Give me like you're sitting on that panel, and you're a judge, and you're like wholly

00:38:49.800 --> 00:39:18.830 Tommy DiMisa: how, although maybe you didn't say cow in your head, but like wholly like whatever. So can you think of one while I just fumble with my words of one that was like really like exciting stood out. You don't have to mention this young person, but I would like to know how old they were and what they or their team came up with events a couple of years ago, and one of the pitch presenters was 8. Yeah, awesome.

00:39:18.830 --> 00:39:20.829 Lexa Gandolfo: He he is

00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:36.180 Lexa Gandolfo: just like so sharp. It was great. But the one that stands out in my mind is a a young lady. She is, I think, either a sophomore or junior in high school, and her invention is

00:39:36.200 --> 00:40:04.850 Lexa Gandolfo: essentially a model that will allow optometrists to practice incisions that they have to make on on the eyeball, for, like cataract surgeries and other types of junior in high school, and I remember that she had.

00:40:04.870 --> 00:40:10.140 Lexa Gandolfo: I wanna say she had a relative that had

00:40:10.690 --> 00:40:22.769 Lexa Gandolfo: had some sort of eye disease. And she saw a need for people who are training to to solve these problems.

00:40:22.870 --> 00:40:26.629 Lexa Gandolfo: typically speaking, they do it all in theory.

00:40:26.710 --> 00:40:30.629 Lexa Gandolfo: versus in practice there is no suitable

00:40:30.680 --> 00:40:33.219 Lexa Gandolfo: sort of model for these

00:40:33.660 --> 00:40:49.499 Lexa Gandolfo: medical students and for doctors to practice new and inventive ways of of helping people with with eye eye problems and eye disease like type eyeball that allows these

00:40:49.520 --> 00:40:52.190 Lexa Gandolfo: these doctors to to

00:40:52.580 --> 00:41:13.889 Tommy DiMisa: practice before they they. They perform these surgeries. It it's like this again. The fun part about this show, like I told you earlier this week, is like you and me having a cup of coffee because I'm just going stream of conscious. I'm gonna tell you what happened to me this week and what you just said Sparks me to mention. I'm listening to Bloomberg ring while I'm driving in the car the other day, and I forget what the I'm trying to find the the disease.

00:41:13.890 --> 00:41:29.230 Tommy DiMisa: Excuse me, but it's something with the Oh, here it is. Red 9 is pigmentosa. Okay? Remember the name of the disease that that sparked her interest in this. But yeah, well, we'll get get back to me on it will share it with people, because this is a never ending conversation.

00:41:29.250 --> 00:41:32.360 Tommy DiMisa: Listen to this, everybody and Alexa.

00:41:33.980 --> 00:41:47.900 Tommy DiMisa: this technology is the something they're doing with proteins. They're rebuilding the retina. But they're not doing it on this planet because something with gravity affects the production. They're doing it on the space station.

00:41:47.940 --> 00:41:57.789 Tommy DiMisa: They're they, these companies, these inventors are going again. I know no more than what I just told you all. So Google it you'll find out about. But I was like, what

00:41:57.790 --> 00:42:23.959 Tommy DiMisa: like going up to the space station to do that. And there's other. And as they're talking about on Bloomberg, it was like on the weekends Bloomberg does. This thing is like Bloomberg week, or something like that. And they just like it's like a rate. It's like they read their whole magazine that they do, and then I don't have to read it, cause like. They just read it to me, you know, which is perfect for me. I love audible shout-out But they they're telling me these stories, and I'm like going, what? And then they're talking about these other drug companies that are going to do

00:42:24.030 --> 00:42:47.939 Lexa Gandolfo: like production of pharmaceuticals up on the space station. And and WI mean, I'm sorry, like I don't usually get like quite another one. We I just we also provide one on one consulting and mentorship to to K through 12, and also to our other sort of sectors, military or just, you know.

00:42:48.090 --> 00:43:09.029 Lexa Gandolfo: individuals cause everyone else. But in our last mentoring session. I spoke with a girl who was in the fifth grade or sixth grade, I think sixth grade, who came to us via Connecticut Invention convention, and those are. That's another partner of ours. They do some incredible work. They have

00:43:09.030 --> 00:43:25.599 Lexa Gandolfo: across New England, really? Well, mostly Connecticut and Massachusetts. They have these after school programs and in school programs where they teach kids the ins and outs of of building a prototype and

00:43:25.940 --> 00:43:48.869 Lexa Gandolfo: figure out how to best find a target audience and solve this, solve, solve a problem all the stuff that independent inventors do. Anyway, she came to us because she wants to advance her product past just the the competition school competition. And it's a product that her her sister is disabled. And she still needs

00:43:49.080 --> 00:44:09.459 Lexa Gandolfo: to wear diapers, but with disabled children to changing their diapers is is a really difficult because they're they're upset and they move around and they don't understand that they need to stay still. So she created this changing table that allows her mom and dad to strap

00:44:09.460 --> 00:44:38.509 Lexa Gandolfo: her sister and and be distracted by you know there's a articulated kind of like arm that puts like a a an ipad in. And it it was like a whole solution to a problem that she saw her mom and dad facing every day, changing her sister's diaper. There's and and that's again a lot of work that I do is connected to organizations who serve the intellectual, developmentally disabled. And you know, we're we're involved with a lot of

00:44:38.510 --> 00:44:44.320 Tommy DiMisa: some of them are clients of ours for our agency vanguard benefits, and some of them we sell in boards of organizations.

00:44:44.390 --> 00:44:59.009 Tommy DiMisa: And it there's such an application for what this young lady came up with, and she was solving a quote unquote not for everybody, but an everyday problem for many families. And you know, critically important. I mean, you know, I I've

00:44:59.220 --> 00:45:11.550 Tommy DiMisa: I'm not gonna go into the personal stuff. We have many family members who have different levels of disabilities. And the Ada came out a long time ago. But you can sometimes end up in a venue where there is not a

00:45:11.920 --> 00:45:37.209 Tommy DiMisa: a handicapped or accessible. Rather better word, said Bathroom, which blows my mind in the year 2,023. But that's another show for another day. In fact, it probably should be another show where we talk about that that needs to change, and it needs to be addressed there. But that to that. Those stories are incredibly inspiring. We gotta go to another quick break. We come back. We're gonna do kind of a lightning round. I wanna hear about Wednesday night because I riff off in a total, different direction. But talk about Wednesday night

00:45:37.210 --> 00:45:46.839 Tommy DiMisa: we'll talk about folks on military, and I wanna one thing before we go to break. I wanna say the organization is called New England events. However, the first time I met you. You sort of, said

00:45:46.840 --> 00:45:59.710 Tommy DiMisa: I. My word, not yours. It's kind of a misnomer, because it's not just focused on New England. You're not even in New England, as we talked about. Right? So define that real quick for me, like you have a much further reach.

00:45:59.710 --> 00:46:23.279 Lexa Gandolfo: Do you want me to do that before. Yeah, we have people who have come to us from all over the world. Sweden, Israel Germany they find us through the Patent Office, who we have a good relationship with and then all of the country, certainly as well. So we're headquartered in New England, but in New England. But certainly that's

00:46:23.280 --> 00:46:51.429 Tommy DiMisa: It's something that we're kind of proving out here in New England. Right? But well, probably you'll you'll you'll see us with a different name. And then I find what's cool about stuff like that when you gotta go through like a Rebrand that I'm involved in organization called spirit Huntington Art Center. They did already brand for vanguard vanguard benefits, and I see that Nie might still be in the name. But it's just an I. And E doesn't stand for anyi would still be in the name. But maybe any doesn't stand for New England anymore. It stands for something else, you know.

00:46:51.430 --> 00:46:56.490 Tommy DiMisa: So anyway, food for thought, I look forward to seeing if that does come to be what it is. All right, we'll be right back.

00:46:57.220 --> 00:47:22.650 Tommy DiMisa: Are you a high achieving, growth-oriented leader. Are you interested in developing your authentic leadership while creating a healthy, inclusive workplace? Hi, I'm Dr. Mira Branku, host of the hard skills on talk radio, Nyc, at 5 pm. Eastern, on Tuesdays, where we discuss how leaders develop the hard skills needed to make a greater impact flee. Experts have live coaching and tackle these challenges.

00:48:52.250 --> 00:49:16.239 Tommy DiMisa: That's right. Caught through this. What does it want us to cut through Tommy. What was it? Again the static baby cut through the static Germaniatic. Who else has a song where you run static with addict? No one, I would say, alright. We're back philanthropy and focus your boy the one and only nonprofit sector connector, although I am taking applications to anoint new nonprofit sector. What an ego this guy has! Alright, let's play. Let's go back to the show.

00:49:16.270 --> 00:49:41.239 Tommy DiMisa: New England events, 501 c. 3. Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing support and guidance to independent inventors. My friend, my new friend, if she wants to be Lexa Gandolfo is here with me, and she's executive director there. They do very important work, I would say, advocating on behalf of educating mentoring people who are independent inventors, which is a term I learned about today. So let's talk real quick again, which I try to get us into.

00:49:41.240 --> 00:49:50.969 Tommy DiMisa: But II blocked us from getting there into the military event night the other night, and then I want to know what's upcoming. How can we help? Who do you want to meet that sort of deal?

00:49:50.970 --> 00:49:58.700 Lexa Gandolfo: Thank you. Yeah. So we we, as you just outlined, we we help a lot of different sectors. We're really trying to drive

00:49:58.800 --> 00:50:14.509 Lexa Gandolfo: inclusive innovation. We want people from all different backgrounds, all different types of races, cultures, men, women, kids, old, young, everyone. We wanted to be inclusive. And so, as part of that effort.

00:50:14.660 --> 00:50:26.979 Lexa Gandolfo: we just spoke about youth K, through 12 that we work with. We also work with military veterans, and on Wednesday night, and there's and there's spouses that's a big part, too.

00:50:27.180 --> 00:50:52.909 Lexa Gandolfo: You can only imagine moving around every 2 to 3 years. My brother-in-law was in the military. It must be very difficult for spouses to be able to have any kind of career because they're moving around so often independent is actually a perfect solution to that problem. It doesn't matter where you live. And many of them have

00:50:53.250 --> 00:51:17.850 Lexa Gandolfo: product ids. Really, many of that husband's or wives of service that's awesome. What a great community that is like there is that that look. Look how that happened. Right, that's all. Let me tell you about one of them. Actually, because on Wednesday night we had a military pitch event at our offices in April, and we invited 7 military affiliated people to pitch their products, both veterans.

00:51:17.910 --> 00:51:37.110 Lexa Gandolfo: and we open it up to spouses as well, and one of the spouses. She's such a cool woman. Kim Howell, she has a product. I'm not gonna talk about it too much in depth, because I think she's still working out the details. But essentially, it's a way to offer a

00:51:37.900 --> 00:51:42.419 Lexa Gandolfo: virtual reality. Sort of AI generated

00:51:42.570 --> 00:51:58.650 Lexa Gandolfo: mental health therapy to young people to veterans to anyone who needs it. So it's a sort of a judgment, free sort of way, in which you can bounce your ideas and thoughts and concerns to a

00:51:59.040 --> 00:52:31.890 Lexa Gandolfo: they call Busy's you know, virtual people that can help you sort through mental health. I love it. I love it. Shout out to Kim Kim, shout out for your vision and love to connect with you at some point. Maybe we have to have a whole, another show where we just bring on some of your inventors like said, Yeah, I mean. And so before the break, we also talked about how inventions don't necessarily have to be physical, tangible products. Well, one of the one of the pitch presenters, he recently left the Pat Thomas Foundation, where he was executive Director

00:52:31.890 --> 00:52:54.840 Lexa Gandolfo: Dan for Tell, he is now starting at University Polymath University. And it's just it's coming off full circle here, Tommy. We were just talking about how not everybody should go to university or college. Other people are interested more in a career path right out of high school and polymath. Well, it's soon going to be accredited is a way to do this work

00:52:54.960 --> 00:53:00.409 Lexa Gandolfo: school kind of integration, where you're apprenticing. And you're working for local

00:53:00.410 --> 00:53:24.990 Lexa Gandolfo: companies. And you're getting on the job training as you go to go to school. So he presented his vision for Polymath University, which he just started up and is, is is actively expanding now, and we did have some physical products, too. Some really cool stuff that I could go on and on about. But I don't know what.

00:53:24.990 --> 00:53:49.889 Lexa Gandolfo: But I promise that if you're up for it, we could do another thing. We do a Facebook live, you and me. We'll just do something like it doesn't. The thing about like this is gonna sound funny. The thing about being Tommy D is, I just do whatever I want. And that's how the show works here. And so like, I'm out the other night networking, and I'm like, Oh, you know, be great to get you on my show if you're up for it. I just have to talk to the board. Okay, I just spoke to them. They're all good

00:53:49.890 --> 00:54:15.480 Tommy DiMisa: sometimes I'm the only one who will listen alright. So what about another Friday in the in the addict? Is Outgozi in the attic of my attic? Oh, my God, stop, Tommy! Alright, Lexa! Let's what's upcoming in all their events, is there? I know we talked about membership. What is it? Let's tell me about membership, and then let's talk about events what it like.

00:54:15.620 --> 00:54:31.869 Lexa Gandolfo: I don't have a product or an idea right now. Wh would I be a good member to be like or not? Or it's like, you gotta have like, Tommy. You have to pay your check, and you have to have something. What? What does that look? We purposely keep membership extremely low

00:54:31.960 --> 00:54:56.040 Lexa Gandolfo: per year. We don't use membership as a way to support what we do. What we use to support what we do is we, you know, with grants and and corporate funding and and that type of thing. But we're trying to keep our doors open as much as possible for anyone who's interested and anyone who is even

00:54:56.180 --> 00:55:14.509 Lexa Gandolfo: remotely thinking about starting up a product. So you don't need to have a product that you're actively looking to commercialize, to be a member. It could be someone like your wife who, you said, could just be really interested in in learning about different independent inventors, have the steps to commercialize.

00:55:14.510 --> 00:55:28.930 Lexa Gandolfo: The the kind of the journey you go on, and commercializing your product, all that stuff we cover through our. We have a a monthly Speaker series where we invite experts on, and we do that both virtually, and we do it

00:55:29.020 --> 00:55:42.889 Lexa Gandolfo: in our at our offices in person. For example, we just had at our offices in September. Jules Pierre, who is the co-founder of the Grommet, come and speak to our members and to audience members.

00:55:42.890 --> 00:56:07.849 Lexa Gandolfo: That video actually is being edited right now. So it's not thank you for bringing this up because educational seminars. So again, I'm trying to help you out. If you're only listening, go to the website later on, anyinventor

00:56:07.850 --> 00:56:15.859 Lexa Gandolfo: video up there shortly. But we have so we alternate between having, like kind of

00:56:16.080 --> 00:56:21.850 Lexa Gandolfo: more recognized inventors and and entrepreneurs on this, on the

00:56:21.850 --> 00:56:46.740 Lexa Gandolfo: Speaker series, and we also have sort of how to kind of stuff like we had heads of prototyping companies come and answer questions and talk to people about different materials they should use, based on which products they're looking to bring to market or different approaches to, to how to build a a a model looks like feels like prototype. So it just depends on what we do there.

00:56:46.900 --> 00:57:10.220 Lexa Gandolfo: We also offer, like I said the the one on one consulting. Can book a time speak with me? Speak with George Peters, our president. He is a 25 year inventor. He's brought numerous products to market, including a product called kettle pizza, which I'm sure a lot of people have heard of. One of the first inserts for for

00:57:10.550 --> 00:57:16.019 Lexa Gandolfo: charcoal grills that can turn your grill into a wood wood fire. Pizza.

00:57:16.610 --> 00:57:30.350 Tommy DiMisa: II love this. I actually I I'm not gonna bring it up now, because if if I get a shot to actually invent what the there's just 2 things I always wanted to invent and I'll we'll have to take it offline, and I'll probably have to have you sign an nda.

00:57:30.350 --> 00:57:58.770 Tommy DiMisa: I wanna make sure

00:57:58.770 --> 00:58:19.140 Lexa Gandolfo: and support you on your journey before you make a million before you fall into the trap of someone who says, Hey, give me 20,000 bucks up front, and I'll make you a millionaire. So you you don't. You can be actively working on a product, thinking about working on a product, not working on anything. This is a

00:58:19.140 --> 00:58:35.309 Lexa Gandolfo: a safe haven, as George always puts where you can. You can get advice, get, get support, and connect with people who can take you to the next level with your product. So we we need people

00:58:35.310 --> 00:58:56.619 Tommy DiMisa: where they are.

00:58:57.530 --> 00:59:05.029 Tommy DiMisa: You don't know who. You often don't know where. Keep your eyes and ears wide open. Make those connections develop your network.

00:59:05.120 --> 00:59:20.129 Tommy DiMisa: make a great day.