I and E Meets March 14th: Inventor to speak

Making Money out of Rain As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. When it literally rains too much, it’s a shame to lose all that free garden rainwater as runoff into drains. One do-it-yourselfer figured out a way to capture rainwater and store it. Even better, the storage doesn’t turn your backyard into a rain barrel warehouse. Instead, decorative benches hold 65-plus gallons of water while serving as patio furniture and party seats. The innovator of these benches is landscape designer Scott Gear, who is the featured speaker at the next meeting of the Evansville Area Inventors & Entrepreneurs Club. Set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 14, the meeting will be hosted at Creekside Place, 102 Maple St., Evansville. Middleton-based Gear has two businesses, Gear Landscape Design Studio and SecondRain. Gear will talk about the invention-to-market process, how he found distributors, and what he’s hearing from buyers. Guests will have time to ask questions, and participate in the famous networking round robin. It’s a one-minute opportunity to promote a business, invention or quest for information or connections. To encourage lingering and small group discussions, refreshments will be served. This month, refreshments are sponsored by Cindy Hammer and Hammer Builders. With a focus on detail, Hammer Builders designs and builds smarter, more functional homes using energy efficient, sustainable methods and materials. Hammer says, “We strive to create homes that nurture the character and spirit of the people living in them, rather than just impressing friends and neighbors with scale.” Call 608-774-6382 for more information about Hammer Builders, or follow them on their Facebook page. The I&E Club is free and meetings are open to the public. The club has a presence on LinkedIn, and after “joining” the group, anyone can post information. Just look for “Evansville Area Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club” under the Groups category at www.linkedin.com. To be added to the email notification list or to get more information, contact club officers Sue Berg at 608-333-1664 or suebergsolutions@gmail.com, or John Gishnock III at 608-314-6656 or john.g@formecology.com. END