2008 INPEX® Inventors University™ Speaker Bios

“Famous” Wally Amos, 2008 INPEX® Keynote Speaker
Wally Amos is a man of wisdom, a man of humor, and a man of joy. And he has learned the greatest secret in life: You can be happy no matter what. Wally will share his inspiring collection of “recipes,” and tell you how adversarial situations are often blessings in disguise, and how the lessons we learn in life sometimes come from the most unexpected places. The Cookie Never Crumbles is Wally’s philosophy, and during his lecture he will tell you, through touching, hilarious, thought provoking stories, how you can adopt this philosophy for you.

From Wally’s childhood, up through his days in the entertainment business, to the creation and loss of “Famous Amos” cookies, and to his current way of life, Wally Amos struggled, adapted, and finally triumphed. His inspirational advice will make you laugh, make you dream and make you think. This is a message built on faith!

Learn more about "Famous" Wally Amos

Richard M. Blank, Esquire, Law Offices of Richard Mark Blank and Sherman & Blank Inc.
Sherman & Blank, Inc., is a is a full-service licensing agency and consulting company representing corporations, brand owners, celebrities, athletes, inventors, artists, and designers. Based in the heart of New York City, the company possesses resources to help in the building of brands, trademarks, products, characters and inventions. They specialize in strategy development, structuring and negotiating licensing terms.

The office of Richard Mark Blank, Attorney at Law, specializes in: Trademark, Brand, Invention and Product Licensing; Entertainment, Music, Sports, and Art Law; Trademarks, Copyrights, Patents, Broadcast Television; Technology Law; Internet Law; Agency and Distributorship.

Wendi Cooper, President/CEO, C Spot Run Productions LLC
Wendi Cooper is the Founder of C Spot Run Productions, LLC, a full service TV and web production and marketing company dedicated to launching and managing successful campaigns for clients around the world. Her clients list includes over 25 genres with companies such as Time Life Direct, Wheel Chair Foundation, Timeless Media Group, Inc., Mondo Media, Studioworks Entertainment, Diet Power Products, Dual Action Cleanse/ Irwin Naturals, Abzone/Integrity Partners, SoniClear/DermaSonic, InventHelp® and many more. Possessing the extensive knowledge and skill necessary to effectively position a product in the direct-response industry she creates a specific and individual launching pad utilizing multiple channels of distribution, from television to web. C Spot Run's mission is to recognize individuality in each client and help them realize their goals via multi-channel intelligent integrated marketing.

CSRP is a long-standing and valued member of Direct Response Marketing Association (DRMA) and Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) and has worked to develop opportunities for inventors for over 10 years through vibrant integrity based programs that showcase direct to consumer products. Over the past 9 years, she has provided inventors with educational seminars via a collaborative effort with INPEX® since 1999. C Spot Run is recognized worldwide for their Direct Response productions and campaign management expertise. For more information on Wendi Cooper, visit www.cspotrun.com.

Edith Goldstein Tolchin, President, EGT Global Trading
Edith G. Tolchin, "The Sourcing Lady", "invented" EGT Global Trading in 1997, with a goal to link U.S. inventors with Asian manufacturers, to provide a "one-stop Import service" for sourcing, quality control, manufacturing, international financing, air/ocean shipping, customs clearance arrangements, and dock-to-door delivery. Edie began her career in import and international trade in 1973, fresh out of NYU, with a NYC importer of frozen fish and bicycles. She has worked with both large and small importers, handling commodities from salted nuts to chemicals and waxes, to wearing apparel and toys. Ms. Tolchin holds a U.S. Customs Broker License, and has extensive experience with U.S. Customs and Customs Brokers in various products and issues, including binding rulings, duty protests and drawbacks. She is a Professional Member of the United Inventors Association.

Ms. Tolchin currently writes a twice-weekly column, "Striking a Simple Balance" on work-life issues for the Times Herald-Record in New York.

EGT Global Trading specializes in offshore manufacturing services for inventions of textiles and sewn-items, bags, baby and fashion accessories, unique arts & crafts items, and household inventions. Edie Tolchin regularly provides presentations for inventors' organizations and trade shows throughout the USA on topics such as "Importing Basics for Inventors™," and "Offshore Manufacturing for Inventors™."

B.J. Dohrmann, Chairman, CEO Space
B.J. Dohrmann was the original Chairman of Income Builders International. CEO Space is a CEO retreat and advanced business training program hosted five times annually. For almost two decades, B.J. Dohrmann has provided training services to CEO Space Forums teaching business skills on administration, accounting, funding, marketing, planning, communication, team building and other topics of interest to CEOs.

Mr. Dohrmann is an author, corporate trainer and venture capitalist who works tirelessly to develop grants and donations from corporations, private individuals and institutional sponsors. BJ produces other products and services in CD kits available via LSA Publishing. He has also pioneered youth training for teens, hosted annually by world famous youth trainers and Chicken Soup Authors, Eve Hogan and Lisa Nichols. BJ also lectures at many of the 1000 free CEO Space BIZ Club meetings hosted week to week in cities throughout the world. For more information on B.J. Dohrmann, please visit www.CEOSpace.Net, or www.CEOsuccesschannel.com.

Jon Goldman, President, LumpyMail.com
Jon Goldman is a leading authority on Lumpy Mail marketing and is a sought-after speaker for business workshops and associations. His dynamic and highly creative style led him to be rated the "#1 Presenter for Takeaway Content, Usability and Presentation Style" by the DMA, and "Info-tainer of the Year" by the USPS.

Jon is known for his unconventional, out-of-the-box creativity. He has done work for large multinational companies such as IBM, Häagen-Dazs, Nickelodeon, and the NBA, as well as countless entrepreneurs and small businesses. His campaigns have been featured on NBC and CBS and in BusinessWeek and The Wall Street Journal.

Eric Hanscom, Attorney/Inventor, Law Offices of Eric Hanscom
Patent Attorney Eric Hanscom has filed more than 500 patents, trademarks and copyrights in nearly 50 countries around the world. In an average year, he spends at least three months at his offices in Hong Kong and Bangkok, and has an inside knowledge of prototyping and manufacturing in China.

He is also an inventor, appearing as a named inventor on seven patents, with a design for a fish pond predator deterrent currently patent-pending. Prior to becoming an attorney, Eric was a nationally competitive surfer and a 3-time World Champion Kayaker. He and his wife reside in Carlsbad, California, and in their spare time run an oceanfront resort on an island off the coast of Thailand in the Indian Ocean. For more information, visit www.erichanscom.com.

Howard Lim, Brand Specialist, HOW Studios Inc
Howard Lim was born to brand!
He created HOW Studios in 1987, and since then continuously leads industries, as well as, creating new categories for fortune 100s to Start- Ups. Howard exceeds the expectations of clients like Apple, DreamWorks, Disney, Paramount, Xerox, Claris, Honda and Toshiba among others. Howard is the bridge between fundamentals, innovation, creativity, and technology with high return on investment.

Although having a healthy portfolio with fortune 100 companies, his greatest passion is with Start-Ups, and companies that need to rebrand for greater market share. Howard says, "working with a blank canvas and the ability to move them at an amplified speed to market is exciting to him."

Howard, also shares the same passion as inventors. Being an inventor himself, he understands the hurdles they face in taking just an idea and making it supreme. He understands the challenges and sequencing they face in bringing their product or service to the market, and staying there.

He consistently leads industries by providing a number of valuable innovative brand solutions not previously existing in the market. Some of the firsts included; creating a new category known as motion graphics for ABC networks which has changed television viewing forever, brand standards for the first DVD interfaces for MGM, award winning first all digital brand advertising for Fujitsu drives, the first brand category for Philips Interactive Media to launch DVD movies which took over the use of VHS and Beta tapes, the brand category for Access Debit program for UCSB, now a standard for most colleges. And this is just the start.

Over the years, thru his brand strategy to brand execution, he has assisted companies in wealth building of well over a billion dollars in sales, as well as, consistently creating tremendous brand value, broader mindshare and higher brand equity for his clients. It has been a long road for Howard to earn the badge of being a brand strategist.

Today, Howard leads a team of professionals who powerfully communicate and brand the visions of America's leading emerging and Fortune 100 companies.

Jill Lublin, CEO, Promising Promotion
Jill Lublin is the author of two national bestselling books, Guerrilla Publicity (which is considered the PR bible and is used in university marketing courses) and Networking Magic (which went to #1 at Barnes and Noble). She is a renownedstrategist and international speaker. As the CEO of the strategic consulting firm,Promising Promotion, Jill has created successful techniques that implement bottomlineresults.

Jill is founder of GoodNews Media, Inc., a company specializing in positive news. She is currently the host of the nationally syndicated radio show, Do The Dream, where she interviews celebrities who have achieved their dreams. Jill has been featured in the New York Times, Woman’s Day, and Entrepreneur Magazine, as well as on ABC, NBC, CBS radio and national TV affiliates and is creator and host of a new TV show called The Connecting Minute. Jill’s third book, Get Noticed, will be out in May of 2008 with McGraw-Hill.
For more information on Jill Lublin, visit www.jilllublin.com.

Michael Planit, President, Product Strategies
Michael Planit, Author, "Operators Are Standing By!" and president of Product Strategies, a leading Direct Response marketing company, brings his 20+ years of strategic marketing experiences and track record of success in DR marketing of product sales. Product Strategies develops direct response marketing strategies for small business owners and other top marketing firms. Products include Boogie Bass, EdgeMaster, Grip Wrench, Smart Tape, DermaFresh, and many more.

For more information, please visit www.productstrategies.com.

Greg Sarnow, Founder/CEO, Direct Response Academy
Gregory Sarnow, founder and CEO of the Direct Response Academy in Austin, Texas, is a widely recognized pioneer and authority in the direct response television industry. Capitalizing on his notable entrepreneurial talents, proven track record in managing successful direct response TV campaigns and media buying expertise, Greg now leads the only educational institute dedicated to the needs of the direct response industry.

Sarnow’s unique training programs cover the myriad aspects of successfully launching and managing direct response television campaigns. The DRA offers executive training, project management and consulting services to corporations and individuals who are marketing products through television and the Web.

Prior to founding the DRA, Greg spent eight years as president of American Television Time.  During his tenure, Sarnow managed long and short form media for Fortune 500 companies including Avon, Rubbermaid, Chase Bank, Toshiba, and Sears.

Greg is also the author of “The Infomercial Producer Report,” the first and most successful publication designed to aid marketers in choosing and managing DRTV service providers.

Prior to joining American Television Time, Greg founded Karuna AG in Zurich, Switzerland, a Swiss trading company operating in 35 countries with offices in Hong Kong, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Zurich. Its operations included jewelry manufacturing, and importing/exporting fine jewelry and precious stones throughout the world. During this time, he also acquired extensive knowledge of the foreign banking industry.

Mr. Sarnow completed his undergraduate studies at Penn State University with a degree in Philosophy and continued studies in Europe.

Greg Sarnow can be reached by email at greg@dracademy.org or by phone at 512-301-1616.  For more information about the Direct Response Academy, please visit the website at: www.directresponseacademy.com.

Diane Ranger, Founder & CEO, Colorescience
A 30-year veteran in the cosmetics industry, as a specialist in cosmetic chemistry research and development, Diane Ranger single-handedly created the mineral makeup concept. At the time of origination, it was a radical break from traditional makeup, because, for the first time, women learned about the benefits of healthy makeup, derived naturally from the Earth.

With a Master's degree from the University of Houston, Diane entered the cosmetics world with her first brainchild, Bare Escentuals, which she founded in 1976. As president, she spearheaded the growth of the specialty body care business. Stores expanded nationally and turned the retail spa industry on its ear. Unexpectedly, in 1990, Diane walked away from Bare Escentuals to concentrate on her passion for mineral makeup product development. She walked away after one too many rounds of venture capitalists.

"I was once told by a very respected woman in the cosmetics industry that I should sell my idea because I only had one chance in a million to make it," explains Diane. "I smiled and thanked her because 'one in a million is all I need!' After I walked away, the only thing I had left of value were my ideas and my ability to create unusual products. So I sold these ideas to others."

Diane then evolved her original loose mineral concept into Colorescience - an array of cutting-edge mineral and crystal-based formulas that are rated up to SPF 30. Unique and innovative packaging, fun product names and exclusive marketing are trademarks of the Colorescience line. Additionally, Colorescience is the most tested and most researched mineral makeup on the market.

Diane explains that she relied on three qualities in her journey through the different phases of her business experience: vision, drive and tenacity. "I learned early on that if I could think it, I could do it."

A native Texan, Diane currently lives in Dana Point, California with her husband Chet and dog Blossom. Colorescience is available at fine day spas, resorts, dermatologist and plastic surgeon offices and makeup artists' studios.