Secrets from an Inventor's Notebook
Advice on Inventing Success
When the fuzz from his sweater was pulled off by a brick wall he was leaning against, Maurice Kanbar had a brainstorm. Soon he had patented, produced, and successfully promoted the D-Fuzz-It sweater comb, and made his first fortune at the age of 22. In this engaging “master class” Kanbar’s real world hits and misses illustrate the concrete steps every inventor must follow to successfully take his product to market.
Maurice Kanbar is an American entrepreneur and inventor who is known for his creation of SKYY vodka. He owns more than three dozen patents on various consumer and medical products. Kanbar invented the D-Fuzz-lt comb for sweaters, Tangoes Puzzle Game, the Safetyglide hypodermic needle protector, a cryogenic cataract remover, a new LED traffic light, and Zip Notes, among others. The creator of New York’s first multiplex cinema, the Quad Cinema, he has long been a supporter and benefactor of the performing arts as well as a film producer. He produced the animated film Hoodwinked! which grossed over $100 million worldwide. He has received honorary degrees from Philadelphia University, Kenyon College, Bar-llan University, and Yeshiva University. He lives in San Francisco. Phil Baechler is a former newspaper journalist and the original owner and developer of the Baby Jogger Company.