AbsolutelyNew VP Elected to United Inventors Association Board

Dec. 7, 2009 - PRLog -- SAN FRANCISCO—AbsolutelyNew, Inc., the consumer goods company that partners with independent inventors and small businesses to launch new products, is pleased to announce that its Vice President of Marketing & Business Development, Bill Freund, has been elected to the non-profit United Inventors Association (UIA) Board of Directors.

Freund, an inventor and patent-holder who has brought several of his creations to market, is most determined to help the UIA with its educational efforts.

This motivation stems from first-hand experience: Freund came up with multiple new product ideas in high school and college, but it wasn’t until years later while attending Harvard Business School that he learned many of the business skills ultimately needed to see his inventions to market success.

“As both an independent inventor and an executive at an innovation-driven consumer goods company for many years, I’ve learned that bringing new products to market is much harder than it looks. Now, as a Board Member of the UIA, I plan to help inventors understand the key challenges they face and how to successfully overcome them,” said Freund.

The UIA over the past 20 years has established itself as the invention community’s leading watchdog group and resource for inventors. It provides a range of best-in-class services including:

• Operating as an umbrella organization for regional invention groups
• Evaluating industry organizations and certifying those that meet its strict standards
• Developing educational materials for inventor entrepreneurs

Freund will take up his Board seat in January 2010 when the UIA initiates a new slate of Directors. He will continue to work full-time as an executive of AbsolutelyNew.

Other new UIA Board members include patent attorney Roger Belfray, author and international sourcing expert Edith G. Tolchin, and independent inventor and Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “National Innovation Marketplace” Ken Bloemer.

In a related development, UIA Executive Director Patrick Raymond will be stepping down from AbsolutelyNew’s Advisory Board at the end of the year in order to focus exclusively on working with the UIA’s own expanded Board of Directors.

“My experience with AbsolutelyNew is that it is a good company doing good work for inventors,” said Raymond. “Even as I leave AbsolutelyNew’s Advisory Board, I look forward to our continued friendship, and to our continued efforts—separately and together—to help inventors.”

AbsolutelyNew continues to be a strong supporter of the UIA and its Certified Professional program aimed at establishing high standards and a strict code of conduct for businesses serving innovators.

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AbsolutelyNew is the consumer goods company that partners with inventors to launch breakthrough products. The company’s Science+Technology Division also helps innovators launch new devices and technologies into businesses. Products in AbsolutelyNew’s portfolio span a range of categories and can be purchased in stores and catalogs, online and on TV. Headquartered in San Francisco, AbsolutelyNew is privately held with venture capital backing from Artiman Ventures. For more information, visit www.absolutelynew.com.