Tennessee Inventors Association (TIA) Meeting Newsletters
The Tennessee Inventors Association sends a monthly newsletter to members and visitors. The newsletters contain notes on the previous meeting and information on other items of interest. Some newsletters include pdf copies of the handouts. To view these handouts, Adobe Acrobat or other pdf file reader/viewer program must me installed on your computer.
| Month | Meeting Description |
|---|---|
| July |
July 2011 Dr. H. Lee MartinThe July meeting of the TIA featured Dr. H. Lee Martin. Lee holds 16 US Patents and has numerous publications in robotics, image processing, and electric vehicles. He started the company TeleRobotics International, Inc. in 1986, which went public on the NASDAQ exchange as iPIX in 1999. He is the author of the book Techonomics. Currently, he teaches engineering entrepreneurship at the University of Tennessee. |
| June |
June 2011 David Bolt and Solar EnergyDavid Bolt was our featured speaker for the June 2011 TIA meeting. David is very active in the local development of solar energy and he spoke of his company: Sustainable Future. |
| May |
May 2011 Inventor resourcesThe May meeting of the TIA featured a discussion on resources available for inventors. Those resources include on-line resources and local organizations that offer support and advice to inventors. There was also a round-table type discussion of issues facing the TIA, including member participation, collaboration with the Entrepreneurs of Knoxville, and future meeting topics. |
| April |
April 2011 Entrepreneurs of Knoxville EOKOur featured speaker for the April meeting was Leo Knight, founder of the Entrepreneurs of Knoxville (EoK). Leo discussed the EoK and how inventors can benefit from an organization devoted to entrepreneurship. Also, the TIA received copies of Stephen Key's new book, "One Simple Idea." Copies of the book were distributed to those in attendance. |
| March |
March 2011 Innovation in Manufacturing: A Success StoryLocal innovator Jeff Bohanan was the featured speaker for the March 19 meeting of the TIA. In 1997 Jeff founded Protomet Corporation, an Oak Ridge design and manufacturing company. Jeff spoke about how he started Protomet and how he helps other companies develop innovative products that his company then manufactures. |
| February |
February 2011 Patents and protecting inventionsTom Kulaga presented information on the current patent laws. He discussed why patent protection may be desirable, along with a general overview of how patents work. Tom also discussed the Patent Bill that is pending in Congress. |
| January |
January 2011 Using the Internet to promote your inventionTerri Brooks helps entrepreneurs “overcome the overwhelm” of using online and social media marketing for their business. She presented information on how inventors can promote their inventions using the Internet. |
| Month | Meeting Description |
|---|---|
| December |
December 2010 General MeetingThe agenda for the December 18 TIA meeting included a discussion of what members would like to see the TIA do in the next year. Members also presented their inventions at the meeting. |
| November |
November 2010 Elections and Project PlanningThe agenda for the November 20 TIA meeting iincluded our annual elections and presenting part three of the business plan. Part 3 of the inventor's business plan is the Project Plan. The steps required to move from inventing to making money need to be identified, along with the expected costs and schedule. |
| October |
October 2010 Marketing of Consumer Product InventionsThomas Dollnig was the featured speaker for the October 16 meeting of the Tennessee Inventors Association. Tom provided a very informative discussion of selling. Every inventor needs to know how to sell. The inventor may be selling the rights to a patent. The inventor may be selling products based on the invention. But, to profit from an invention, the inventor must be able to sell. |
| September |
September 2010 Business Planning: The Marketing PlanPart two of developing a business plan was the topic for the September meeting. Two members, Carl Papa and Judie Black, presented the market plan portion of their business plans to the members. |
| August |
August 2010 Legal Documents and AgreementsMaryville attorney Justin Martin of Kizer & Black discussed a day in the life of a widget. In particular, Justin discussed the legal issues relating to inventing and profiting from that invention. |
Page last updated November 21, 2024
