The spirit of invention is alive and well in California. This past fall, more than 8,000 ideas were entered in the Staples Invention Quest — the first national search for a new office product to make work-life easier.
Neil Grimwood, of Marina del Rey, has been selected as one of 100 semi-finalists in the Invention Quest for his StickDot, “the mini-bulletin board that goes everywhere and anywhere.”
Grimwood said he was inspired to create the StickDot out of the need to stick notes to his computer monitor. He said he missed an important business meeting because a reminder note fell on the floor.
Grimwood said he does his most inventive thinking while rollerblading by the ocean and gets his invention inspiration from people “who take the simple things that they have available to them and create solutions for themselves.”
As a semi-finalist, Grimwood will pitch his idea to a panel of Invention Quest judges at one of six regional semi-final events being held this month in Baltimore, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston and Cincinnati.
Staples Invention Quest was launched Sept. 25. Staples gift cards for $100 went to 100 semi-finalists, and 12 finalists will be selected by Feb. 7 to head to New York City for the Invention Quest finals March 10.
An expert panel of inventors and entrepreneurs will decide who walks away with the $25,000 grand prize.
Winners also will receive royalties if their ideas are created and sold by Staples. Staples is headquartered outside of Boston and sells a range of office products, including supplies, technology, furniture and business services.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 17, 2004. Read the original PDF.