What participants say …

Hoopla Rack,
third place and $4,000,
2008 Schoofs Prize for Creativity;
third place and $700,
Tong Prototype Prize;
and Younkle Best Presentation Award

“Through the whole process, I actually began to see my design turn into a prototype, and now my prototype might actually become a patented reality. By the end, I was so happy that I had chosen to take a chance on myself and do something that brought my engineering and hooping life together.”

—Danielle McIntosh

Pen Smart,
$1,000 Judges’ Award for Special Merit,
2008 Schoofs Prize for Creativity

“I thought of this product two years ago—I wrote it down and kind of forgot about it for awhile. And I realized that if I didn’t do it, I’d always regret it, so I just decided to pursue it. The competition is a great outlet for anyone interested in innovation and development. The experience gives you the tools to develop the idea and the confidence to continue.”

—Daniel Gartenberg

Innovators in the news …
articles about past competitors

Hot Blade

Hot Blade: A combination paint scraper and heat gun designed to more effectively remove paint from wood.

Hot Blade (large image)

"In one pass you can make two cuts to the material. The blades eliminate the paint sticking to the blade. The position of the blades and the heat eliminate the sticking. The prototype opened my eyes to a new design because now it works in a plane. The blade holder and blade are in symmetry. It is also more balanced in this way."
— Kurt Poorman

Innovator: Kurt Poorman