"American Inventor" Finalists Visit INPEX® 2006
Several of the contestants who made the final cut on the network TV show American Inventor traveled to INPEX 2006 to speak and inspire their fellow inventors.
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Finalists Erik Thompson and Francisco Patino teamed up to deliver a speech on "How to Let Your Passion Come Through in Your Pitch" at the INPEX Inventors University™. Patino also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony that opened the show, while Thompson served as the featured speaker at the International closing awards dinner and ceremony.
Semifinalist Jodi Pliszka presented the "Woman Inventor of the Year" award to "Angel Mop" creator Kathryn Cioci at the awards dinner. Another semifinalist, Joseph Safuta, attended the show as an exhibitor to display the "Pureflush" – the invention that merited him a place in the top twelve on the American Inventor TV show.
The always-energetic Thompson could be found catching a football with the inventors of the "Pro Snap" on the show floor, and Patino, a former INPEX exhibitor himself, was constantly posing for pictures and shaking hands. Pliszka sat in on Kids' Day, signing autographs and talking to inventors, while amateur magician Safuta wowed everyone with an assortment of tricks and illusions.
Special thanks go to these guys for bringing the same excitement and enthusiasm to INPEX that they brought to American Inventor. The TV show put the spotlight on inventors from around the country, giving them a chance to pitch their products to a trio of expert judges. A field of thousands of inventors was eventually narrowed down to twelve semifinalists and then four finalists, before the million-dollar winner was selected.
Erik Thompson made it to the final four with his invention, "The Catch," a detachable vest that football players can wear to train and develop proper catching skills.
Also in the final four was Francisco Patino, the youngest of the finalists at age nineteen. Patino developed the "Double Traction Bike," a new bike design that features a second seat on the handlebars and an additional set of pedals on the front wheel.
An emotional favorite, Jodi Pliszka made the top twelve with her invention the "Headliner," a disposable liner that is worn underneath wigs, hats or helmets. Pliszka designed the "Headliner" based on her experience with Alopecia, a medical condition that caused her to lose all of her hair.
These American Inventor finalists echo the spirit of ingenuity and innovation that INPEX strives to promote.
