The Quest for the Next Great School or Office Supply Continues!
13 Kids Representing 15 Inventions Advance to Semi-finalist Round in First-Ever Staples® Invention Quest® Kids Contest
Inventive Kids Competed at Staples Headquarters March 5 for Chance to Move On to Finalist Round and Win $25,000 and More
FRAMINGHAM, MA - March 5, 2007 - After advancing to the top 30 nominated products out of thousands of entries in the inaugural Staples® Invention Quest® Kids contest, the following 13 young innovators advanced to the semifinalist round:
- Alexandra Brown, 17, from Sherman Oaks, CA
- Lauren McCaghren, 14, from Madison, AL
- Andre Brooks, 16, from San Jose, CA
- John Savage, 9, from Simpsonville, SC (3 inventions)
- Joshua Savage, 6, from Simpsonville, SC
- Lila Bernhardt, 7, from Atlanta, GA
- David Farrell, Jr., 10, from Philadelphia, PA
- Jonathon Leung, 16, from Wynnewood, PA
- Megan Malcolm, 11, from Hawthorn Woods, IL
- Isaac Walter, 15, from Camp Point, IL
- Brian Ingoldsby, 11, from Sherman Oaks, CA
- Keagan Bolibol, 10, from Woodinville, WA
- Jerrilee Geist, 11, from San Rafael, CA
These amazing kids each invented at least one each of the 15 semifinalist products in the Invention Quest Kids contest, which is Staples’ national search to find new office product ideas designed to make school-life easier. In the case of John Savage, he actually created 3 of the inventions which have now advanced to the semifinalist round.
“Staples’ goal, in everything we do, is to make things easier for our customers,” said Jevin Eagle, Executive Vice President of merchandising. “The first Invention Quest for Kids semifinalists have shown that the spark of ingenuity, creativity and real-life product innovation comes from kids as young as six years old. These young inventors have proven their originality by surpassing thousands of other products, and have tapped into their innovative spirit to come up with new, creative products that make school and life easier.”
Since the inception of Invention Quest in 2004, Staples has received more than 30,000 entries. This year, in the first kids’ contest, female submissions represented 53 percent, while male submissions totaled 47 percent. Kids over 10 years of age had the majority of submissions with 83 percent, while youngsters under 10 accounted for 17 percent.
Staples partnered with By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK™) to introduce the new kids contest and to help encourage kids up to the age of 18 to explore and share their brilliant ideas that would make school-life better. BKFK contributes great experience in outreaching to America’s kids and supports the inventing process through free resources, available on their website, www.bkfk.com.
The aforementioned semifinalists traveled to the Staples corporate headquarters on March 5 in Framingham, Mass. to compete in front of a panel of judges. The kids each had 5 – 15 minutes to present their invention, after which judging took place to determine the five finalists. The five finalists will be selected and announced on April 2.
Once the finalists are selected, these five individuals will receive a trip for two to New York City to present their idea to the Invention Quest judges at a finals event being held on April 24 at the NASDAQ Marketsite in New York City. Consumers can also weigh in on their favorite invention and who they think should win from April 2-20 at www.staples.com/IQ. At the finals event, a panel of inventors and entrepreneur judges, along with the online voting component, will select a winner who will receive the $25,000 grand prize and royalties if Staples manufactures and sells the invention. The four runners up will receive $5,000 each.
Staples Invention Quest
Staples Invention Quest is an open invitation across the U.S. for would-be
inventors to have the chance to make their office product idea a reality.
Multiple finalists’ products may be brought to market under the
Staples‚ brand and sold exclusively by Staples in its 1,900 U.S.
stores and on Staples.com. A panel of judges will select the best office
product entry and the winner will receive $25,000 and royalties if Staples
brings the winning product to its shelves. The four remaining finalists
will be awarded cash prizes of $5,000 and the possibility to have their
idea created and sold by Staples.
About Staples Brands
Staples offers its customers more than 2,000 Staples brand products in
stores, on Staples.com and through catalogs. Products range from ink and
toner to paper, filing systems and technology accessories. All Staples
products undergo an intense independent laboratory quality-testing program
and are 100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.
About Staples
Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and today
is the world's largest office products company. With 74,000 talented associates,
the company is committed to making it easy to buy a wide range of office
products, including supplies, technology, furniture, and business services.
With 2006 sales of $18.2 billion, Staples serves consumers and businesses
ranging from home-based businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 21 countries
throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia. Headquartered outside
of Boston, Staples operates approximately 1,900 office superstores and
also serves its customers through mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract
businesses. More information is available at www.staples.com
About By Kids For Kids Co.
By Kids For Kids., a closely held corporation based in Stamford,
Conn., is the leading global marketing, branding and licensing company
dedicated to making kids' ideas a reality. Their mission is to inspire,
motivate and stimulate the innovative spirit within all kids. In addition
to providing free support and educational resources to the world's children,
BKFK provides entrepreneurial experiences for young inventors and supports
the entire ideation through commercialization process. Learn more: www.bkfk.com
To request an interview with any of the semifinalists, please contact Mari Martone at (212) 714-1280 or mari@alantaylor.com. Media information is available at www.staples.com/IQ.
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