GENERAL MEETING INFORMATION:
We meet monthly, usually on the first Saturday of every month from 10:30am to 12:30pm (unless it conflicts with a holiday weekend or some other significant event where we may push it to the second Saturday). Meetings alternate between open industry-speaker presentations with networking, and quarterly closed NDA-covered member workshops.
Meeting location varies, often at the NEC (National Entrepreneur Center) in Central Orlando, Maitland Public Library, or Familab makerspace. Meetings apart from workshops are also hybrid over Zoom.
Cost: Open meetings are free. Workshops require $30 annual dues.
Date & Time: Saturday September 5, 2026, 10:30am – 12:30pm EST
Location: Maitland Public Library – 501 South Maitland Avenue, Maitland, Florida 32751
Meeting type: Open Meeting
Speaker: Julie Austin – The creator of Swiggie, the arm mount water bottle
Audience: All are welcome
Presentation (via Zoom) Making a Million, 100 Swiggies At A Time
Passed out on the pavement, Julie Austin was inspired to create an easy way to carry water while running and came up with the Swiggie. Although broke she developed it on her own and overcame numerous roadblocks. They scoffed at her for obtaining a design patent. Now she sells them by the hundreds and thousands while fighting off infringers. One of her best tools is “trade dress” that stems from her design patent. She will be sharing her journey and explaining how “trade dress” can work for you.
Julie Austin is known for her patented product Swiggies—a NASDAQ Product of the Year semi-finalist now sold in 25 countries—Julie Austin Creativity Keynote Speaker & Inventor (Woman Inventor Keynote Speaker) become a globally recognized thought leader in innovation.
FUTURE EVENTS:
October 3, 2026 (Sat.), 10:30am – 12:30pm EST
Members-only workshop.
November 7-8, 2026 (Sat. & Sun.), 10:00am – 5:00pm EST
Central Florida Fairgrounds
November 14, 2026 (Sat.), 10:30am – 12:30pm EST
Member meeting at Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry
Presenter: Rebecca Murphey (UCF) on Patent Searching
December 5, 2026 (Sat.), 10:30am – 12:30pm EST
Member meeting at Maitland Public Library
Presenter: Don Debelak on Getting your invention off the ground