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This week on the Bold Inventors Show, hosts J.D. Houvener (patent attorney, Bold Patents) and Matt Kulseth (trademark attorney) sit down with Steve Waddell, the founder of Nasoni—the company reinventing the everyday faucet into a hands-free fountain + smart accessibility platform.

Steve’s journey is a masterclass in what it really takes to go from problem → prototype → pitch wins → product → pivots → clinical trials → grants. If you’ve ever wondered “Is my idea too small?” or “How do I fund this thing?”—this episode is for you.

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

💡 The “rinse test”: why brushing your teeth inspired a whole product category
🏗️ How Steve built early proof-of-concept prototypes (and what he learned the hard way)
🏆 Startup competition strategy: how pitch wins helped fund real momentum
📺 Steve Harvey’s Thunderdome: what it’s like to pitch on a high-pressure stage
🧪 From consumer product to healthcare tech: how Nasoni evolved into assistive innovation
🧓♿ Accessibility & independence: adapting faucet control for users with mobility challenges
🔬 Clinical trials + NIH grants: what it takes to validate and scale a medical-adjacent product
⚖️ Patents, timing, and ROI: when filing too early can backfire—and how to think about IP strategy
🌀 Motion mark trademark: yes, that’s a thing—and Steve actually has one

🔥 Why this matters for inventors

Nesoni’s story shows how a product can start as a simple consumer “aha” moment… and become a mission-driven platform that helps real people live more independently—while still requiring smart decisions around funding, manufacturing, IP, and go-to-market timing.

📌 Watch live

We’re live every Wednesday at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern on LinkedIn + YouTube.
Bring your questions—patents, trademarks, product launches, licensing, and more (just keep it non-confidential since we’re live).

🔗 Want confidential guidance? Book a free discovery call at BoldPatents.com.

#BoldInventorsShow #Nesoni #SmartFaucet #Innovation #Patents #Trademarks #InventorJourney, #Nasoni, #SteveWaddell, #BoldInventorsShow, #BoldPatents, #PatentLaw, #TrademarkLaw, #Inventors, #Entrepreneurship, #StartupJourney, #ProductDevelopment, #HardwareStartup, #SmartHomeTech, #AssistiveTechnology, #AccessibilityInnovation, #NIHGrants, #ClinicalTrials, #PitchCompetition, #Manufacturing, #IPStrategy, #MedicalDevices

Support the show

Have an invention or brand to protect? Or just curious about learning more? Download our FREE Inventor Kit here: https://keap.page/gw292/inventor-kit.html

DISCLAIMER
Everything discussed on this podcast is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.

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Welcome back to the Bold Inventor Show—the weekly live stream where inventors, entrepreneurs, and business owners learn how to protect and scale what they’re building with patents, trademarks, and smart strategy. Hosted by J.D. Houvener, patent attorney & founder of Bold Patents, this episode is a powerful double-feature: a heart-driven invention story that became a patented product system, plus practical AI insights for professional services leaders who want to work faster without losing quality.

🎥 Episode Highlights (Fun + Fast Takeaways)

🧠 From personal pain point to patented innovation
Angela Fairhurst shares how caring for her mom with dementia led to a breakthrough moment—discovering how tactile, safe, sensory tools could create calm + connection when words no longer worked.

🧸 Jerry Gadgets®: “tools, not toys”
Angela explains why dementia-friendly products must be:
✅ dishwasher safe 🍽️
✅ mouth safe 👄
✅ non-toxic 🧪
✅ durable 💪
✅ engaging for two people (connection matters!) 🤝

✨ Inventing isn’t magic—it's follow-through
A recurring theme: ideas are everywhere, but execution is rare. Angela shares how she moved from “why doesn’t this exist?” to design, testing, market research, and IP protection.

📦 A patented “manipulation kit” system
Rather than patenting one object, Angela protected the system—a smart strategy for innovators building product families with future variations.

🤖 Second Feature: Corporate Patents + AI Consulting That Actually Works

📡 Frank Lazaro on innovating inside big telecom
Frank shares what it’s like to invent at a large corporation:
🏢 curated invention disclosure pipelines
⚖️ in-house patent counsel interviews
🏆 recognition + bonuses
📌 but the company owns the IP (a key lesson for employee-inventors)

🧩 AI as a tool, not a replacement
Frank breaks down how firms can use generative AI like ChatGPT/Copilot/Claude to find efficiency—especially in law, accounting, architecture, engineering, consulting, and other professional services.

⏱️ “Find 12 minutes” strategy
His approach is simple: reclaim small blocks of time daily and turn that into massive savings across weeks and months—without sacrificing quality.

📈 Strategic planning for innovation
Frank’s thesis: AI shouldn’t be bolted on as an afterthought. It should be integrated into business strategy, operations, and measurable KPIs so leaders can track real ROI.

📅 Watch Live Every Week

📍 Wednesdays at 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern
🎥 Streaming on LinkedIn + YouTube
💬 Bring your questions—live Q&A always welcome!

#BoldInventorsShow, #BoldPatents, #PatentAttorney, #PatentLaw, #Invention, #Inventor, #Entrepreneurship, #Startup, #ProductDevelopment, #IPStrategy, #Trademarks, #UtilityPatent, #Caregiving, #DementiaCare, #HealthcareInnovation, #ConsumerProducts, #GenerativeAI, #AIForBusiness, #ProfessionalServices, #InnovationStrategy

Support the show

Have an invention or brand to protect? Or just curious about learning more? Download our FREE Inventor Kit here: https://keap.page/gw292/inventor-kit.html

DISCLAIMER
Everything discussed on this podcast is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.

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What happens when the internet goes down—but innovation can’t stop? 🚀
In this episode of the Bold Inventors Show, JD Houvener dives into the future of networking, resilience, and innovation with a deep discussion on private, decentralized networks, offline AI, and infrastructure independence.

This conversation with John Fawcett of FrogNet explores how inventors and entrepreneurs can rethink connectivity beyond the cloud—unlocking new opportunities in disaster response, remote research, secure communications, and edge-based AI systems. From real-world use cases to the IP strategy behind breakthrough infrastructure, this episode challenges long-held assumptions about how data moves, who controls it, and where innovation can thrive.

Key takeaways you’ll learn:
⚡ Why decentralized and private networks are becoming mission-critical
🧠 How offline AI and real-time sensors unlock new business models
🔐 The role of privacy, resilience, and control in next-gen tech
📡 Where innovation happens when traditional infrastructure fails
📜 How patents and IP strategy support deep-tech commercialization

If you’re an inventor, founder, engineer, or investor thinking about the next evolution of connectivity, this episode is a must-watch.

👉 Watch, listen, and rethink what’s possible when innovation isn’t tethered to the cloud.

#BoldInventors, #PodcastEpisode, #TechInnovation, #InventorMindset, #DecentralizedNetworks, #FutureOfTech, #EdgeAI, #OfflineAI, #PrivateNetworks, #DeepTech, #StartupPodcast, #EntrepreneurLife, #IntellectualProperty, #PatentStrategy, #InnovationLeadership, #ResilientSystems, #TechFounders, #EmergingTechnology, #HardTech, #Inventors

Support the show

Have an invention or brand to protect? Or just curious about learning more? Download our FREE Inventor Kit here: https://keap.page/gw292/inventor-kit.html

DISCLAIMER
Everything discussed on this podcast is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice.