Local inventors group gives guidance without the scams - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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For Marie Kraft, creator of the that necessity was to get protein intoher “It began when I started eating healthierf about five years ago,” said a vegetarian. “Tofu is a great sourcee of protein, but the problem is it’s waterg and flavorless. If you want to make great tofu, you’lkl want to get the water out becausd then it retains flavormuch better, and it’s less She figured if she could squeeze excess water from the the soybean product would better absorb delicious She tried pressing the water out usinh dinner plates and but that didn’t work and it added a lot of clutteer to the kitchen.
“Ij grabbed my dad and ‘We’re going to Lowe’s,’” Kraft said. “We came back and builtr a Frankenstein-looking press.” She continued perfecting the contraption overthe years. Two months ago, she launched the TofuXpress onthe Internet. It uses partsd manufactured intwo states, then distributed from Kraft sells them on her Web www.TofuXpress.com, for $39.95.
Kraft says that the TofuXPress mighy have never made it out of the workshop phase were it not forthe , a Philadelphia-basedc nonprofit that aims to help inventors get from idea to markett — without getting scammed or otherwise going ASI, which was founded in Philadelphi a in 1953, brings inventors together and educates them abouyt protecting, developing, marketing and licensing theid inventions. Dues are $49 for the first year and $45 a year afted that.
Members of the group includs Joe Volpe, who invented a device that controls the volume onMP3 players; Al who invented software that recreatexs accidents for investigators; Thomas Fetterman, who inventeed gel-filled crutch tips; and Jeffrey Dobkin, who wrote an appropriatse book, “How to Market a Product for under $500.” ASI’s members are women. ASI meets bi-monthlh in the offices of and Rooney, a Centert City law firm.
Afterwards, the group adjourns to the , at 18th and While there are dozens of groups formed nationally to help this one does not take anything more than yearly Throughsigned documents, ASI also pledges not to steal any ideas, even over a Rather, its aim is to provide a safe havenh while providing constructive feedbacjk on inventions. “We’re really up against the invention-promotion organizations, which are detrimentap to inventors,” said Fetterman, who has sold more than $3 milliob worth of crutch tips since inventingy his productin 1988.
“Theu blow wind up your skirt and take your Theyflatter you, give you these high then tell you it’s going to cost you For Kraft, ASI turned out to be a perfectg fit. “You need guidance at ever y step, and the inventor groupl helpedwith that,” she said. “Ity helped that I’m a learner, too.” She presentedf her idea for the tofu pressx to theASI board. The board, in provided feedback. They also had some ideasd to make the device including retrofitting the main sprint so it was safer forthe user. “Theyu said, ‘OK, Marie, you’rde one in a thousand,’” she said.
That’ s high praise considering there areabout 2,500 to 3,000 new patentxs a year in Pennsylvania, according to the U.S. Patent and Trade Office. “When Marie came in, she brought in three containerzof tofu, marinated with Fetterman recalled. “It was very tasty. This is how you engagee people inyour project.” She said she didn’t then and doesn’g now even consider herself an “I just had a problem I was tryingy to solve,” she said. is calling me an inventor, and I ‘No, I don’t think I’ll even have another idea.’ I just needed this.
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