NATIONAL INVENTOR CLUB - Key Persons
Brian Fried is a serial inventor with many of his inventions reaching audiences through mass retail, As Seen On TV, home shopping channels, catalogs and online retailers through product and brand licensing and manufacturing. He is the author of "Inventing Secrets Revealed" and "You & Your Big Ideas," and has been featured in the media including; New York Times, Inc. Magazine, Newsday, Inventors Digest, CBS News, Food Network and WPIX11. Brian is the host of Got Invention Radio, interviewing high profile guests including the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, Lori Greiner from ABC's Shark Tank, and over 150 individual interviews.
Brian mentors and represents individual inventors and celebrities at all stages of the invention process, providing feedback, product development, licensing representation and turnkey solutions to make ideas a reality as CEO of his company Inventor Smart. He is considered an authority and advocate for inventors within the invention community and has been requested as a guest speaker on innovation and invention at major trade shows, government agencies, schools and libraries throughout the country.
He is the creator and instructor of Inventor Class, an online e-learning course and launched the Got Invention Show, interviewing inventors to help promote their journey as an inventor and their inventions. He founded and continues to serve as President of Long Island's Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club, one of the largest in the country, now our National Inventor Club. He is the recipient of the Innovator of the Year Award, and Proclamations for his community influence.
Erica Chase-Gregory joined the Farmingdale SBDC in 2011. Erica owned and operated her own consulting business prior to joining the Small Business Development Center. Her previous experience working with Federal, State and Local government agencies has become a valuable asset to her clients who wish to pursue government contracts. She specializes in assisting clients with the federal, state and/or local certification processes. Mrs. Chase-Gregory was appointed the Regional Director of Farmingdale SBDC in 2015. During her time with the SBDC the center has assisted over 9700 small businesses, helping them access $215 million dollars to start or to expand their businesses. Erica conducts business workshops for various community organizations as well as being involved with many long island business networking groups. Under her leadership the Farmingdale Center has won numerous awards for excellence and the center is a top performing center in NY State.
Terry Whipple has a passion for creating a contagious environment for entrepreneurship! He is also adamant that the Midwest needs to foster a culture of entrepreneurism in order to compete in the 21st century economy.
Terry is the Executive Director of the Juneau County Economic Development Corporation (JCEDC) and former president of the 7 Rivers Region. He is a seasoned professional with practical experience in a plethora of business applications including business start-up and turn-around, mergers and acquisitions and maximizing business opportunities via trends research. He is skilled in strategic planning, management, negotiations, sales and marketing and an expert in presentations, public speaking, team building and networking.
He has been applying his experience in corporate turn-arounds to revitalizing Juneau County and its rural communities.
A bridge-builder and collaborator, Terry received the SBA's Region V and Wisconsin 2005 Home-Based Business Champion of the Year Award. He also received the Wisconsin 2005 Innovation Champion Award for the development of innovative new programs as well as the 7 Rivers Region Pyramid Award. In 2009, Terry was presented the International Economic Development Council Award for Innovative entrepreneurial programs. He has served as an independent business consultant specializing in work with distressed small businesses and currently maintains his own private consulting business.
His current appointments include:
Job Titles:
- Business Advisor
- Business Advisor With SBDC
Walter has been a Business Advisor with SBDC since 1998. He originally worked at the Staten Island office and has been at the Farmingdale SBDC since January 2002. Walter was twice the recipient of the highest awards given by the New York State SBDC system, winning the New York State Star Performer Award in 2007 and 2010. He also won the NY State SBDC Counselor of the Year Award in 2006, 2014, 2015 and also again in 2020, as a part time counselor. .In 2000 he was recognized by the Staten Island Advance and the Staten Island Chamber for his role in a project that resulted in amending a federal regulation. This accomplishment was credited with impacting the continued operation of 32 small businesses and saving 190 jobs along the northeast corridor from Maine to Maryland. For this effort he received the NAMTAC Award for the "Outstanding Project of the Year" in 2000.
He has been credited with advising over 2,000 businesses since his tenure with the SBDC which resulted in over 800 new startup businesses creating 2,5002 jobs and investing over $185,000,000 of economic impact into the economy. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Suffolk County Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club, The Long Island Business Exchange, The Business Resource Group, the Nassau County Inventor and Entrepreneur Club and The Safe Water Source, a charitable organization.
He obtained advanced certified advisor status with the SBDC in May of 2011. Before joining the SBDC, he worked for many years in the toy industry as a retail store buyer. He has also been a principal partner in two businesses: New York Business Brokers Inc., and R and M Toy Sales.
He received a B.B.A. from Hofstra University in 1972. He and his family reside in Farmingdale.
William Salas has aided over 900 inventors and entrepreneurs since opening The Smithtown Libray Patent and Trademark Resource Center in 2013. His work includes training inventors how to perform a preliminary patentability search for their invention, demonstrating how to use the Unites State Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Electronic Search System and offering general intellectual property protection assistance.
William has a B.A. in English from Stony Brook University, an MLS from St. John's University and he is a proud veteran of the U.S. Army.