1. Hometown: Pittsburgh

2. Current City: I grew up in, and still live in, Penn Hills

3. College/Major: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Communications Media major, with a minor in English and another minor in Theatre

4. Best thing about Pittsburgh: I have two good ones, at least to me, cost of living and I don’t have to worry about dangerous weather (e.g. tornadoes, Earthquakes, hurricanes)

5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? My sons and I are all comic book, anime and Japanese Manga fans, so we have this conversation a lot… I usually choose Omnipotence, like Dr. Manhattan from the Watchmen comics or when we can’t choose just one power we go with characters. I usually go with the Blue Marvel from Marvel Comics or One Punch Man from Japanese Manga. If I MUST choose an ability I’d choose ‘adaptability’, because my body and mind would adapt to any situation to overcome any issue.

6. Who is your role model and why? I could say ‘I don’t have a role model’, because I never wanted to be like anyone. I always wanted to blaze my own trail and become something of my own. But, I do have one. Jesus. The only perfect person that walked this planet. That is someone who I follow and who inspires me.

7. Favorite part of the tour? The Ball Park. I love seeing the kids’ faces when they walk in. It gives me the chance to tell them that if they get a job they enjoy doing, it inspires them to do better, then the higher ups are inspired to keep that employee happy by doing extra for them. Its a giving circle. I always tell kids that ‘if you’re blessed to get a job in something you like to do, you never work a day in your life’.

8. Tell us one of your most memorable tour experiences. I try to make my tours fun, exciting, informative and inspiring. My most memorable tour experience was with a group of grade schoolers. After the tour, as the kids were piling up and walking out the door, one little girl broke from the crowd, ran up and gave me a big hug. I love kids. I treat them as if they were my own, so my goal is to inspire them the way I do my own four kids.

9. When you’re not at Inventionland, what are you doing? When I’m not in Inventionland I’m busy. My wife home schools our kids, so I jump at the chance to teach as well. My part, surprising, is media and life. Videography, photography, editing, writing, social media, etc. I also work on preparing my kids for the future by teaching life lessons, teaching the lessons from the Bible and how to survive in the world they’ll inherit as adults. When I’m not spending time with my family, I also coach youth football and youth track & field.

10. Unique talents/skills? I guess my biggest talent is working with people, but, if you ask my family, its being a goofy. Life is short, I’m only serious when necessary.

11. Favorite TV Show? I’m a big sci-fi fan, so I’d have to say my favorite is the entire genre. Second to that is action and comedy. Mix them together and I’m in total bliss.

12. Favorite Brunch Food? What ever I like and available, but my wife would say potato chips.

13. Guilty Pleasure? REAL milk chocolate. Not that drab stuff the big candy bar industry has been putting out. Real chocolate products like from Sarris in Canonsburg, Gene and Boots in Perryopolis and Rosalind Candy Castle in New Brighton

14. What one word would your mom use to describe you? Determined. I don’t give up. I may take a break, but I don’t quit.

15. When I was ten, I wanted to be… a butt kicking super hero that fights super humans, aliens, extra dimensional beings, you name it. I wanted to be the protector of the Earth.

16. In high school, I was… the Billy Dee Williams of high school football. I was involved in stage in my last two years of high school. During the Spring I would go straight from a musical rehearsal to Spring football practice. My Head Coach called me the Billy Dee Williams of high school football, because, to him, actors were wimps, but Billy Dee was a tough guy and I was no wimp.

17. People would be surprised to know that I… used to be certified in stage combat and fight choreography

18. In five years, I see myself… finally being able to take my wife on a honeymoon (all the kids will be in college or beyond at that point). My wife had the courage to marry me in the beginning of my career (the broke years). Then we had four kids, then… then… then… life happens. The honeymoon will be almost 30 years late, but I’m going to take my Queen where ever she’d like to be.

19. Who would play you in a movie and why? Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) or Will Smith. Two action actors that can be both funny and serious in a movie and make it look natural. My life is almost as much active as it is everything else. Although, I’ve had some times in my life when Rowan Atkinson would have easily fit right in (like changing my 1st child’s diaper for the first time)!

20. If you were trapped in Inventionland overnight, what would you do? Hook my Ipod up to the sound system and let the music play… and play loud! If I’m going to be trapped, I’m going to at least enjoy myself.

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1. 1. Hometown: Wagontown, PA – though no one really knows where that is, so I normally tell people West Chester or Philadelphia, PA.
   2. Current City: Morningside
   3. College/Major: I went to Susquehanna University for Creative Writing. (Please see abnormally long responses to seemingly basic questions as proof.)
   4. How long have you been in Pittsburgh/What brought you to Pittsburgh: I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for five and a half years. I moved here because my roommate and one of my best friends wanted to move back out here (this was where she went to college), and I just happened to be ready to move out as well!
   5. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I would love to fly and at incredibly fast speeds. How nice would it be to not need a car?
   6. Who is your role model and why? My role models would be my grandparents—together they’re just a hilarious and unique pair of humans. My grandfather is intelligent, thoughtful, and quick-witted. My grandmother is this fierce old German woman; she’s absolutely terrifying (though she would hit me if she heard me say that) as well as smart and strong.
   7. Favorite part of the tour? My absolute favorite part of the tour is the most unsuspecting part! Right on the side of the castle is a pile of products with the toothbrush sanitizer and the worlds, “It all started… because of a failure.” I’m able to tell the story of one of Mr. D’s original ideas and how it went to market before he was able to present it, but he didn’t take that failure and give up; he went off to make the 9 Step Inventing Experience as well as Inventionland. This isn’t only inspiring to the Student tours and the Client tours, but I see the teachers and chaperones really take this message to heart. We’re a company that is here to help people, we are here because Mr. D was able to take that crappy experience and learn from it. We’re facing the beginning of many generations that would just give up because of something like that, but now they’re able to see and stand inside of Inventionland, something that is only here because of that failure. It’s a resounding message that everyone can bring home with them, I love it.
   8. Tell us one of your most memorable tour experiences. Student tours are my absolute favorite. I feel many high school aged kids always start tours and they’re reluctant to ask questions because they don’t want to seem uncool or dumb in any way. The first high school group I was able to take around the facility was so quiet, to the point where I started talking to myself (loudly, loud enough for everyone to hear me). “Oh, Madie, how many majors would you say are in this building? That’s an amazing question, Madie, great job! There are 35+ majors in this building…” Once I was able to make a foo

      

      l of myself they opened up a bit and all asked for selfies with me at the end. As I was walking the group out of the building, a few of the kids on my tour approached me asking questions. Mr. D came up behind us and offered the kids some Tomorrow’s World Today merchandise and stuck around to ask questions. You could just see the kids light up when they got to see the person that I had been talking about for the last hour. Many kids asked about how to start inventing and everyone’s energy and excitement was palpable. 

   9. When you’re not at Inventionland, what are you doing?  Trying to show off to my 13 year old sister with my lacking Overwatch skills! If I’m not playing games, I’m walking my dogs, reading, or watching my fiancé cook while asking every 2 minutes if we can eat yet.  
   10. Unique talents/skills?  I’m super handy around the house. I can fix just about anything, except plumbing, because I don’t mess with that one. I have fixed all of my minor electrical problems and the like for the last 5 years. All in all, I’m probably the worst tenant in the world because I don’t like to wait weeks for someone to come out and fix a problem that I can fix myself.
   11. Favorite TV Show? Archer, for sure.
   12. Favorite Brunch Food? There is no way I can pick between Eggs Benedict and Eggs-in-a-Basket.
   13. Guilty Pleasure? Any romance reading material ever; I say reading material because I have been whisked off one too many times with some crappy fan-fiction or one-off blog posts as well.
   14. What one word would your mom use to describe you? Unique.
   15. When I was ten, I wanted to be…a veterinarian, but only because 10 year old Madie wanted to come off as sensible and realistic. On the inside I wanted to be a pop-star.
   16. In high school, I was… always busy!  I would play roller hockey with my friends after school, on weekends I would go off-roading and swimming in a local creek.
   17. People would be surprised to know that I…play Dungeons & Dragons, like a LOT. I play on Tuesday and Wednesday nights from 7-11 most of the time. In college I used to play every Sunday from 10am until 6pm. My longest session was 13 hours with a group of friends about a year ago.
   18. In five years, I’d like to be…a billionaire, but who wouldn’t? All in all, I’d settle for millionaire, or at least having my student loan debt paid off.
   19. Who would play you in a movie and why? I know she’s significantly older than me, but I would want Lucy Lawless to play me. If I could say I was played by the actress who was Xena the Warrior Princess, I would die happy. Plus, we’re both brunettes!
   20. If you were trapped in Inventionland overnight, what would you do?
       1. I would start the night by digging through all of my old creative writing pieces from college and pick out the one which would be most fun to open up again to work on.
       2. Then, I would go to Chipper’s Tree House and use all of the whiteboards re-storyboarding my story. This would take a few hours, but before I knew it, it would be around 9pm and I would start to feel hungry.
       3. I’d skip—yes, skip—over to Brainpower Ballpark where I’d make a small dinner feast of Ramen and Slim Jims.
       4. Finally, I’d find a blanket, probably in Crafty Cottage, and I’d snuggle up on one of the recliners in Dare to Invent Theater and watch Netflix on the big screen until I fell asleep. 

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On a daily basis, Inventionland Corporate Industrial Designer John’s job-related tasks vary as he handles everything from new product design, engineering, prototyping, building, finishing and sometimes even packaging. For John, diving right into each and every project in various capacities is something he enjoys, as it offers him the opportunity to continuously use his skills and creativity in different ways.

“My interests have been in art and the creative fields since I was super young,” said John. “Drawing, tracing, sketching, painting, sculpting – all of that stuff since I was a kid,” continued John. Speaking of being a kid, in this new video episode of Inside Inventionland, John takes us from his designer duties to his dad duties as he talks with us about his young daughter. From dad to designer!

Ask him why he wanted to be an industrial designer or designer in general and John will tell you a very interesting story. “I didn’t!” John said. We’ll let John explain in his Inside Inventionland video! Watch now below!

As you’ve learned from John, Inventionland’s unique environment has a lot to offer. “I like Inventionland because of the freedom that it affords. I like Inventionland because of the resources that it offers me. I can come here whenever I need to and get whatever I want done,” said John.

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2017

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Each week, students of all ages walk through the doors of Inventionland to get a peek inside our whimsical invention factory, consisting of running waterfalls and 16 uniquely-themed sets. For many, it’s a truly eye-opening experience. Inspired students often leave with the encouragement that their skills will allow them to one day work in such a creative environment.

While many of our Creationeers have been part of the Inventionland team for over ten years, it’s fun to reflect back on the days when they were just students themselves.

“When I was in high school, I got into engineering. And industrial design, after I learned about what it was, it seemed like it was a real easy fit for me… I was doing a lot of artistic stuff, being able to still use some engineering skills and it just fit perfect,” said Design Manager Curtis who grew up drawing and painting.

Curtis’ skillset would ultimately lead him to Inventionland, which he actually helped to build!

“It’s not like working in your typical office. I think that was kind of the idea…to give us an environment that helps us work better and more efficient and get the job done in the best way we possibly can,” said Curtis.

Get to know the man behind the beard, who just happens to be the captain of one innovative boat, in Curtis’ episode of Inside Inventionland here!

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2017

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In a recent blog, we noted that Inventionland is sponsoring “The Ultimate Pitch” contest at the Craft & Hobby Association’s Creativation show in Phoenix, Arizona next week. This contest will award one innovator $10,000 and the chance to develop their invention idea. While the contest has drawn some creative ideas and the large trade show floor may be what they’re calling “the capital of the creative products industry,” we’re quite certain that we have a ton of creativity happening right here at Inventionland daily!

“I love how creative I get to be with my job,” said Graphic Designer Tess in a new episode of Inside Inventionland, our video series that highlights our talented team of Creationeers both personally and professionally.

“I also like that there’s so many different projects you get to work on and so many people have such different ideas. I feel like I’m constantly learning about new things and I just think that’s awesome,” said Tess who works on everything from package design to industrial design, to display, virtual board and presentation creation.

In her Inside Inventionland video, we get to learn all about Tess as she dives right into her love for her job, water activities, watercolor painting and more. Hear it straight from Tess here:

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2017

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As Inventionland’s Build Line Manager, Creationeer Clay manages the prototyping department. As Clay likes to explain it, “I break stuff and turn it into other stuff and show other people how to break stuff and turn it into other stuff.”

As we’ve come to learn before, Clay is a talented builder himself, even creating an automaton named “Rusty” out of vehicle parts that now lives at Inventionland.

Friends describe him as “that guy” as he’s not only a builder, but a fixer. According to Clay, he’s “that guy” friends call when you need help from the man with useful skills and a plan, even as it relates to surviving a zombie apocalypse, for all of you fans of the hit AMC television series, The Walking Dead.

Clay kicked off our Inside Inventionland video series and now he’s back with his own feature. Watch and learn a little more about Clay, his zombie apocalypse survival plan, and other “cool stuff behind closed doors” at Inventionland!

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

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At Inventionland, our talented Creationeers use their skills to make, craft, design and build every day. In this latest episode of Inside Inventionland, Creationeer Jenna reminds us that art is all around us.

“The inner city is just a plethora of artistic possibility,” said Jenna as she spoke of the city of Pittsburgh as one of her favorite places to take her camera and capture photography.

Apparently, an eye for photography runs in the family, as Jenna’s grandfather had sparked her interest when he left her all of his video and photography equipment.

“I like photography because it makes people see things in a different way.”

Just outside of Jenna’s favorite photography spots in the city stands our 61,000 square foot creative space, where Jenna, an Inventionland Design Coordinator, gets to bring her photography passion and talent to work, on top of other duties making sure all design projects go off in a smooth and organized manner.

“I wouldn’t be so good at doing photography here if I didn’t do photography out of here,” she said.

As is true when it comes to photography, there’s often more than meets the eye! Watch for a better glimpse into Jenna’s personal and professional world here:

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

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The doors of our creative design facility are always open for visitors to take a tour around our creative space, but every now and again, they’re opened for a peek into the lives of our hardworking Creationeers.

In the latest episode of Inside Inventionland, we meet Creationeer Jon who is frequently working on some of the special set items that make Inventionland such a unique space.

According to Jon, he feels like he was born with a passion for art, so finding a career that utilizes his skills every day seemed like a no brainer!

“I say that this profession kind of chose me,” says Jon.

Art isn’t the only thing that chose Jon; so too did his wife and fellow Creationeer Sharon who works on prototypes at Inventionland.

“I’m most thankful for my wife…” says Jon. “The fact that I get to work with her every day now; this is the best time in my life!”

Not only is he able to live out his passion for art, he’s also able to work with the one he loves; so it’s pretty easy to see why Jon says that creating special projects at Inventionland “doesn’t really feel like work” at all!

This was just a little teaser of what’s to come in this installment of Inside Inventionland! See what else Jon had to say in his episode below:

In case you missed an episode, you can catch the rest of the Inside Inventionland series by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

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Inside Inventionland has given us an all-access pass to the lives, both professionally and personally, of some of our Creationeers. In the latest installment, Creationeer Sarah gives us an exclusive look at a day in her shoes.

Creationeer Sarah works on designing products and says that she started at Inventionland as a MacGyver of sorts.

“I always like to learn new things and my hobbies really helped me to get a job here, so that was pretty great!” said Sarah.

MacGyver has a positive, can-do attitude and that’s what Sarah tries to mimic, day in and day out. With a positive outlook on life, Sarah considers herself an all-around happy person.

“Being grumpy is no way to live,” said Sarah.

Every day when she comes through the doors of Inventionland, Sarah puts her education and her raw talents to the test. Beyond her busy schedule and tenacity to succeed, Sarah somehow finds time to lend her expertise to a local brewery in her spare time.

So, what is Creationeer Sarah happy to brew up and what are the three words that she uses to describe Inventionland? All that and more is in the latest installment of Inside Inventionland. 

Craving even more Inside Inventionland? Catch all episodes by checking the Inventionland blog or subscribing to the YouTube channel today!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

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From Creationeers who are in charge of keeping projects on schedule to Creationeers that bring ideas to life through rapid prototyping and 3D printing, every day and every job is a bit different here at Inventionland.

Back in January, we teased the release of our brand-new video series, Inside Inventionland that would give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at a day-in-the-life of one of our Creationeers in each episode.

In our series we’ve shown you what our Creationeers love to do in their spare time and what they do at work, of course!

In preparation of our newest video, we wanted to pause and enjoy an Inside Inventionland Rewind, then take a trip down memory lane and take a look at some of our favorite quotes from our Creationeers.

In our first episode, we rolled out the red carpet for Creationeer Sharon! In her episode, viewers were given an all-access pass inside of our invention factory and learned why Sharon sometimes refers to herself as “off-the-wall!”

The next episode was POP-ping with excitement. Jason was front-and-center of this episode as he discussed his role in shipping items from our creative space.

When talking about Inventionland, Jason said that “It feels like my home away from home…”

For Creationeer Trevor, coming to Inventionland every day means more than just another day at the office; it’s really a chance for him to explore his creativity and imagination and for that he said, “…it’s a lot of fun to see what you come up with…”

In episode four, things seamed to be picking up. Viewers gained some inspiration from Creationeer Bev, who works day in and day out sewing, stitching, patching and creating anything “cut and sew”. In her episode, Bev was matter-of-fact in saying, “Put me in a room; let me sew; and, I’ll be happy.”

Shannon uses her creativity every day in her projects ranging from product design to packaging design to put her best foot forward and to use her skills to create finished products that she’s proud of.

 “I’m really athletic or spasmodic…That’s a really bad way of saying it, isn’t it?” she joked.

Rapid prototyping and 3D printing were at the forefront of this episode of Inside Inventionland. Greg is fascinated by how things work. He tinkers; he plays; and, he rolls up his sleeves to follow his passion.

“You’re free to be you here,” he said about the creative atmosphere at Inventionland.

Emily is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, but she proudly proclaimed, “I love Pittsburgh way better!”

As a Creationeer with a primary focus on rapid prototyping, Emily has the chance to work with 3D printers to turn ideas into tangible reality.

Our latest episode featured Creationeer Megan, who makes sure that Inventionland design projects run smoothly from start-to-finish.

“I’m the person that makes it go from step-to-step for each project…” she said.

There’s a lot more where this came from! Stay tuned in the coming weeks to the Inventionland blog or subscribe to the YouTube channel today and never miss an episode!

We hope you enjoyed this Inside Inventionland Rewind!

Copyright Inventionland, 2016

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