Betsy Kaufman

Eggies

On a chance day in a Bed Bath & Beyond store, Betsy Kaufman came across “Edison Nation” on the back of a store receipt. Lucky for us, this sparked an interest.

While standing over her stove early one morning, watching the water boil a few eggs, she came across her “kooky” concept. What about a heat-resistant, egg-shaped container that prevented hairline fractures? One that kept you from laboring over egg shells, the notorious bane of garbage disposals around the country?

Betsy’s “Eggies” idea was quickly selected from an As Seen On TV search, and according to our partner, early indications show that Eggies is on track to becoming one of the best DRTV products of the year. Beginning this summer and fall, you’ll be able to find Eggies in Walgreens, Bed Bath & Beyond and many more stores across the country.

How about that for a “kooky” idea? It’s going to be huge. And we’re all so excited to be a part of Betsy’s exciting journey as mother and TV producer-turned-inventor of mega-selling infomercial product.

Brad & Melinda Shepard

Gyro Bowl

Parents are natural problem solvers. Children are inherently messy. When Brad and Melinda's son couldn't seem to keep his Cheerios from spilling onto the minivan floor or collecting dust in the far reaches of the living room couch, they took matters into their own hands. The two young parents came to our Everyday Edisons casting call toting the working prototype for a snack bowl that could swivel, dip and oscillate to withstand the quick movements of a busy toddler...and keep dry foods in place when they're on the move.

With a galactic design that appeals to both parents and their children, the spill-resistant Gyro Bowl is an internationally recognized (and sought after) children's product with major press appeal. What began as a product on a public television series in 2007 is now an infomercial bestseller.

Michael Diep

Emery Cat

As most cat owners can attest, trimming their felines' claws is a problem many encounter. Not only can it be painful for the cat, but it's also difficult for the owner to wrangle their felines for regular vet visits or to witness their furniture as they become scratching posts. There's a good reason the phrase "like herding cats" is part of our everyday vernacular.

Michael's Emery Cat unfolded on the second season of Everyday Edisons, where viewers were able to watch along with this San Diego-based consultant as his original homemade prototype evolved into a multi-functional pet product.

The Emery Cat is now a stylish board that functions as a dual cat toy and claw duller, utilizing a patented abrasive coating that naturally files down cats' claws as they play, stretch or scratch. The Emery Cat's cardboard, honeycomb-like surface is infused with catnip to attract cats, and its base features non-skid durable footpads to make it a well-functioning product for both the cat and the owner.

Today, the Emery Cat is an infomercial sensation, and has been featured on NPR's Marketplace Morning Report and in USA Today, Cat Fancy magazine and more. The Emery Cat can be found on national store shelves in Walgreens, Target, PetSmart, Walmart and many more.

Will Howe & Ric Payne

Mister Steamy

Nightlife scenesters Will Howe and Ric Payne know how to style and profile wherever they go. Combined, their background includes acting, restaurant and bar owning, even a gig hosting the Playboy TV channel. Such lifestyles leave little room for mundane household tasks like doing laundry.

We first met Will and Ric during Season 3 of Everyday Edisons. Their idea and enthusiasm caught the eyes of our development team. Today, the Mister Steamy dryer ball is a solution to those low on time or just lacking the will to fold and put away clothes right as the dryer buzzes.

Mister Steamy can be seen on its own national infomercial and is available in major retail stores across the country.

Franklin Ramsey

Pressix technology

If you've bought a stainless steel, foot pedal trashcan, chances are it includes Franklin's Pressix technology. His idea for a trashcan that holds the trash bag securely in place makes so much sense it actually makes you stop and say: Why didn't I come up with that?

We were introduced to Franklin on the first season of Everyday Edisons in 2007. Whenever Franklin tried to empty wastebaskets when helping his wife, Ann, with her new commercial janitorial business, he could never seem to secure new trash bags properly. Franklin's knotted bags were all either too loose, too tight or tore in the end. Out of frustration, Franklin headed to his garage workshop where he devised a system for keeping trashcan liners in their proper place, without ever having to tie, knot or tear a single bag.

Today, when you are shopping at Williams Sonoma, The Container Store, Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond, take a peak inside one of the high-end trashcans on display; not too shabby for an inventor in his golden years.

Jennifer Holloway

Workout 180

Born and raised in rural Georgia, Jennifer Waldroup Holloway always knew she was destined to make it big. The problem was – by her own admission – the only thing “big” in her early years was what garnered her the nickname of “Wide-Load Waldroup.”

Inspired by others’ taunts, Jen went from heavy-set farm girl to becoming Miss Georgia and a popular Florida-based television anchor and personality. How did she do it? She simply got active. No bells, whistles or surgeries needed. Though as Jen trimmed down her waistline, she discovered pain and soreness in her joints. To power through it, she added high-density foam and a touch of instability to her step device, both of which activated her core muscles and relieved the pressure and strain away from her joints.

Jen’s Workout 180 was first revealed on the premiere season of Everyday Edisons. Since then, the entire Edison Nation team has made a cross-country effort, from Los Angeles to North Carolina, to get the Workout 180 in primetime. Jen is now getting the last laugh to her school age bullies. The Workout 180 was named Shape Magazine’s “favorite new home workout tool,” can be found on MTV’s popular I Used To Be Fat docu-series (click here to watch a segment from the show featuring Workout 180) and will soon make its debut on NBC’s Biggest Loser.

Matt Fleming

Monster Pong

Clinical psychologist and innovator aren't usually interchangeable terms, but Matt Fleming takes what he's learning in his therapy practice and applies it to the entrepreneurial side of life. "Therapy is a lot like inventing," says Fleming. "I spend my sessions working with patients to think of new solutions to their problems and new ways of viewing things."

Matt's Monster Pong bounced onto the second season of Everyday Edisons. He came up with the idea for a modern take on old-school ping pong and presented his original plywood gaming prototype at the Washington, D.C. casting call. When the judges watched Matt and his wife, Erin, demonstrate Monster Pong, they knew they had the next gaming sensation on their hands.

Today, Monster Pong allows for game play on the go with up to six players. Its portability makes it a great addition to the rituals of tailgating, summer cookouts and friendly (or not so friendly) competitions. Monster Pong now boasts an angled playing surface, guitar pick shape, a goal shaped like a recessed cup and new game play rules to master.

Bringing a new game like Monster Pong to market proved to be a challenge for Edison Nation, but this didn’t stop our product development team. We believed in Matt’s concept, and Monster Pong is now available at www.monsterpong.com

John and Bill Murtagh

Kobalt Mortar Hoe

The late John Murtagh had the ambition and determination to conceptualize, design and patent an efficient mortar-mixing tool. Every inch of the mixing head is designed with one thing in mind: getting the most out of every mixing stroke.

"My greatest wish is to take my father into a store and have him see his invention on a store shelf," says Bill Murtagh, John's son and engineer. "It's all I ever wanted." Unfortunately, John lost his battle with cancer in 2004. His surviving wife and children took over efforts to bring the then-dubbed "Murtagh Mixing Hoe" to market, and earned a spot on the first season of Everyday Edisons in 2007.

It's been an arduous journey for the Murtagh family, but one that ends with a sight John Murtagh would be proud to see. In 2009, after years of tenacious pitching, the Edison Nation team signed the dotted line of a licensing deal with a major tool manufacturer. In summer 2010, John Murtagh's homegrown innovation will be unveiled in national Lowe's Home Improvement stores under the Kobalt® brand of next generation tools.

Herb Hart

Total Wrench

A World War II pilot, retired art teacher, father and grandfather, Herb Hart is not just a seasoned problem solver. He may actually be the picture in your imagination of a tinkerer, getting his hands dirty in his workshop. With his first big idea coming to market at the ripe age of 88, Herb has no plans of slowing down just yet.

His "dual wrench" is just one of the dozen tools Herb has built in his garage - and it's also the product idea that landed him on Season 3 of Everyday Edisons. His multifunctional and multiuse tool will be making its debut on the shelves of The Home Depot soon.

Verne Thompson

Burger Stuffer

The hamburger has come a long way from just a quarter pound of meat and two sides of a sesame seed bun. It's even gone beyond adding a melted slice of American cheese and a few strips of bacon. In restaurants and quick-service chains across the country, diners order their burgers with fried eggs, avocado, eggplant, salsa or even pineapple. If you ask Verne Thompson, he'll go as far as to say he likes his burger with macaroni and cheese… and not just as a side item.

Verne created his "Burger Stuffer" to easily hollow out the hamburger patty. The Burger Stuffer is a ring-like apparatus that keeps the burger perfectly round and even, but gives you more room to stuff, press and prepare your patty for the grill.

Lifetime Brands quickly saw the potential in Verne's Burger Stuffer to create a whole new twist on the traditional hamburger.

Phil Avery

Foldable Baking Pans

When you first meet Phil Avery, you likely wouldn't mix in baking with his favorite pastimes of paragliding, designing and inventing. Though he may not be your traditional bakeware innovator, Phil has graciously accepted this role.

While in his kitchen, annoyed by the clutter of so many pots, pans and cookware, Phil hit on the idea for his foldable baking pans, predicting they would be an essential for busy bakers and crowded kitchens across the country. Featured on Everyday Edisons, the pans can fold in size, enabling them to be easily stored in kitchen cabinets and drawers without taking as much room as traditional baking pans. The set also features silicone bonding, which readily releases baked goods and allows for easy clean up.

Phil's idea is sure to stand out in a sea of similar commercial housewares and kitchen products. His foldable baking pans will be introduced to the market by World Kitchen and available on the QVC network.

Holly Tucker

Shoe Skirt

Shoes are cultural icons in their own right, and many women (and even some men) just can't get enough. For shoe junkies that have maxed out their closet space and find themselves in need of organizational help, Holly Tucker's Shoe Skirt discreetly stows your favorite pairs.

After misplacing yet another shoe in her out-of-control closet, Holly went looking for uncharted organizational space in her bedroom. She soon discovered the area beneath the bed frame, conveniently hidden under her decorative bed skirt. Holly fashioned together a fabric organizer with 30 clear pockets where shoes could be stored out of sight, yet easily retrieved when needed. Her Shoe Skirt invention is an ideal hideaway not just for shoes, but even children's toys, books and other items typically scattered throughout the bedroom.

In 2008, Holly pitched her working prototype to the Edison Nation team at a Season Three casting call, thus initiating Shoe Skirt’s journey to market. It was Holly's out of the (shoe) box thinking that also caught the attention of WestPoint Home, an industry leader in home fashions manufacturing. Holly’s Shoe Skirt will be available soon in Bed Bath and Beyond stores across the country.

David Belmonte

Kitchen Bag Storage Filler

One-handed cartwheels. "Look, Mom, no hands!" One-handed juggling. Hands-free wireless. People learn special talents throughout this game of life, while others wish for super powers to just make it all easier. David Belmonte wasn't born with a pair of eyes in the back of his head, but while maintaining a busy household as a modern-day Mr. Mom, he did concoct a second pair of hands with his "Kitchen Bag Storage Filler."

Ever tried filling up a Ziploc® bag with meat sauce, soup or flour, on your own? Get ready for a disaster zone. David's freestanding Kitchen Bag Storage Filler eliminates the traditional bag-filling hassles one may encounter, especially if they are attempting to do this task on their own.

A freelance graphic designer, photographer and stay-at-home dad to his six year old, David is accustomed to problem solving and multitasking to ensure his busy home functions day to day. He's also the resident chef, so finding an innovative method to cleanly stow away leftovers in zipper bags was a kitchen essential, and one Lifetime Brands can appreciate.

Stan Black

Night Beams

Stan Black is no stranger to the entrepreneurial mindset. Whether he’s toying in finance or bringing the first Krispy Kreme Express to Richmond, Va., Stan has an appetite for new ventures.

A father of three and a Season 3 "Everyday Edison," Stan conceived his Night Beams to add a new dimension to the traditional nightlights that help children find their way to sleep. His Night Beams transform a standard nightlight into a visual projection that illustrates artistic images of heroes or iconic characters onto bare bedroom walls.

Stan’s Night Beams will come to light in children’s bedrooms with Jasco, an exclusive General Electric licensee featuring industry-leading home electric products, and will be available in stores across the country.

Austin Lin

Lampbuddy® table

Austin Lin grew up in Louisiana obsessed with hurricanes, fighting fire ants and proving adults wrong. He made his way to Harvard with the original intent to cure cancer and instead, graduated with a degree in psychology, a love for food and a hankering to figure things out.

Every fall, students and parents flock to Bed Bath & Beyond stores with their dorm room checklist of products to make a "home away from home" within a room the size of a broom closet. Bed Bath's "Students of Invention" Live Product Search called on our members for decorative, space-saving and organizational solutions to the obstacles of dorm room living, and Austin was up for the challenge.

In a small apartment in Cambridge, Austin couldn't find a place to rest his coffee mug in a room big enough for only the sofa and torchiere lights. Austin resolved the issue by creating a removable table to attach to the torchiere lamp pole, providing a tabletop without the need for a space-hogging end table or the expense of a built-in table and lamp. Austin's Lampbuddy table began as a rough prototype made out of a yoga block, and was one of four ideas selected by the Bed Bath team to further develop and sell in stores across the country. Today Austin - a hot power yogi, Philz coffee enthusiast and master shallot roaster - can add problem-solving inventor to his varied and dynamic list of experiences.