Board of Directors
After more than eight years of working in cancer research as a research assistant, Maya started a new life as an independent inventor. Maya achieved some patents to her name, international awards and survived the fire of the dragons on the Dragons Den Show.
Maya has been a member of a BCIS since 1999 and served in different functions over the years. She brings tremendous energy and commitment to the Society, and is very committed to grow the membership. Maya is hoping that the Society can attract increasingly higher caliber of presenters at the monthly meetings and also, come to lobby the government to help inventors. You can view Maya's site at http://www.waterblanket.com/index.html
Rod Harman, Vice-President
Upon receiving his certification of qualification as a journeyman sheet metal worker, Rod started his own business Harman Sheet Metal. He has spent years in the construction industry on small residential jobs to larger commercial projects. In the past few years he has specialized in the design fabrication and installation of residential ventilation systems.
"I have always come up with great ideas for new products, or a way to make that old one better... only to see someone else develop and profit from what I thought was my idea. I joined the BC Inventors Society to meet people that were also struggling with the question: Now that I have this great idea that will save the World and make me rich... What to I do next? I am still learning... have not saved the World... and I am still ways away from getting my product on the store shelve. I jumped in to help as a director, to gain further knowledge for myself and to help others avoid some of the pitfalls I have fallen into or jumped over."
Matt Cumming, Treasurer and Director of Membership
Matt is a longtime North Shore resident and business owner, running his Handyman Service and Renovation Company: A “MATT” of ALL TRADES for over 15 years. He has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and mind. Using his creative and ‘outside the box thinking’ in every project he takes on.
Matt says"There’s always more than one way to use something other than for what it was originally intended" and he loves finding those uses.
"I’ve known about BCIS for over six years and have been a drop in guest many times. I’ve always been interested in how things worked and were put together. I have a reputation of taking things apart... and putting them back together too. Last year I signed up as a full member and this spring offered my time to help grow the society. I’ve been designing and creating things in my mind for years, although few have actually made it onto paper and even fewer into rough prototypes. This is the perfect platform to recruit experts and to launch some of my Inventions and Innovations."
"What being a member of BCIS has done for me is to be introduced to like-minded people, successful inventors, patent lawyers, marketing and web experts, engineers, off shore manufacturers just to name a few. I look forward to meeting many more people through the monthly guest speaker program. Another invaluable benefit of being a member is being motivated by others enthusiasm, and learning from their experiences both successes and mistakes. I want to contribute to making the World a better place to live."
Anthony Lloyd, Director at Large
Anthony is President of Peak Performance Products Inc. a company that manufactures and distributes original tennis training products world wide, primarily with the marketing tools of the internet.
As a U.S.P.T.A. Corporate Member, the company focuses on the United states tennis market for 75% of sales. You can view Anthony's site at http://www.practicehit.com/
Ed Wilson, Director at Large
Ed has been an active inventor since he reinvented the electric motor when he was 10 years old. He has been granted patents in Canada and the U.S. for an inertial rotation sensor (gyroscope). His present work is with his start-up company Sea Star Wave Power, Inc., developing a wave energy converter to convert the mechanical energy of ocean waves into electrical energy. More specifically, this work is focused on developing a small-scale wave power device for those who live or work on or near the ocean and off the electrical grid. It is a natural extension of offshore environment work he carried out with the Government of Canada and the offshore oil industry.You can view Ed's site at http://www.seastarwavepower.com/index.html
Marc Smith, Director of IT
Marc is a Mechanical Technologist and the owner and CEO of Ubique Mechanical Design, Inc., an engineering service support company that provides Consulting, Engineering, Recruiting & Training to the Engineering Industry. He specializes in mechanical and product design in the SolidWorks software. He has helped many companies to design their inventions and derives satisfaction when mentoring engineers get their first job in industry in Canada. As an inventor, Marc is working presently on an ergonomic device in partnership with a physiotherapist. You can view Marc's site at http://www.ubiqueinc.com/
Vince has been a member of BCIS for over 15 years and makes a terrific contribution by organizing the refreshments for each monthly meeting. He especially enjoys these meetings as an opportunity to connect with other inventors who share common interests. He has a broad range of invention ideas, including construction products and mechanical products. He finds inventing a welcome change of pace from his "day job". So, when you're getting your coffee next time, ask Vince about some of his inventing experiences and interests!
Jill Kenny, Secretary
Jill has a degree in International Marketing and other Market Research qualifications. It is Jill’s dream to eventually develop products that will save lives. However, she is currently working on some more simple inventions to gain experience first.
Eléonore Tremblay, Web content
Eléonore has over twenty-five years experience planning, developing, coordinating and delivering educational programs in the post-secondary education system and custom training in the public sector. As an independent consultant, she has successfully assisted clients to develop project proposals which were subsequently accepted for government funding and designed, developed and coordinated pilot programs for these projects. In the last two years, most of the projects she worked on were for online delivery. Eléonore also works as a business advisor helping would-be entrepreneurs to develop their business plan and to navigate through their business start-up phase. She also evaluates business plans for self-employment programs in the Lower Mainland.
Eléonore has been an off and on member of the BCIS since 2004 and is now taking her first steps as an inventor by putting the finishing touch on the prototypes of a few of the products she came up with over the last few years. Her hope is that her active involvement with BCIS and the stimulations she derives interacting with its members will give her the push she needs to dare bringing some of her products to the market.
