In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Anthony Bernas, co-founder and CEO of Cooler Keg. Listen to learn how an everyday moment and a hobby sparked an idea that raised more than $200K crowdfunding. Bernas describes how he built a homemade prototype and received validation from lake goers that gave him the confidence to crowdfund. Short on time? Here's what we talked about. Sometimes the best ideas come from combining hobbies and a simple question....

In this week’s episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Daniel Whiting, Head of Revenue Generation at Kickbooster. Affiliate marketing is essential for launching new products. Crowdfunding is no different. Kickbooster offers crowdfunding creators an easy-to-use affiliate marketing platform and a pledge management solution. This lets creators focus on building community with their backers. Listen to learn more about Kickbooster and its solutions for your next campaign. Short on...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Darya Forutanpour, Founder and CEO of Blanktech and her father Babak Forutanpour. Together they created Blanktech, a weighted blanket designed for full functionality while reading or lounging. They looked at the market, filled with known brands and created a product that combined the features they wish had existed in one product. Listen to learn their process from idea through prototyping to launch. This father-daughter has deep...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Chris Noyes, Co-Founder and CEO of Pet Object. Pet Object is a thoughtfully designed, high-quality litter box made for cat parents everywhere. Developing the idea took Chris years, but with the help of an agency to engineer the product and his own research on the backend, he made it happen. His campaign launched and fully funded on Kickstarter.  Listen to learn how Chris and his team created a product that stood out in a market with...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Isaiah Vang and Justin Kujath, the co-founders of Espresso Pig. Isaiah and Justin knew they had to do something about the waste created by coffee pods, but they didn't know how. After tirelessly researching the market and learning about different materials, the team started prototyping Espresso Pig’s Pig Pods, but it wasn’t an easy road. They faced design challenges and worked hard to find a workaround. Listen to learn how the Espresso...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Brock Massner, CEO and co-founder of NV Athletics and the inventor of the NV Rack. NV Rack is a patented Non-Varying Resistance system that’s made up of two universal squat rack attachments that allow you to add resistance or assistance to any lift or movement. Brock’s background in fitness sparked the idea for the NV Rack, but it’s his involvement with younger athletes and beginners that encouraged him to pursue the product development...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Attila Madarasz, advisory board member of BAM Concepts and creator of BLADEMAX. BLADEMAX is a revolutionary product from a team looking to save consumers money on shaving razors and to save the earth one razor at a time. As a first-time crowdfunder, Attila was convinced to launch BLADEMAX on Kickstarter after learning about how crowdfunding and Kickstarter work. He was excited to see if the people would also support BLADEMAX. Listen to...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, our host, Roy Morejon fires off in a speed round answering questions we’ve received from fans and members of the community. Roy touches on his personal background, crowdfunding do’s and don’ts, crowdfunding platform questions and all things Art of the Kickstart. Listen to learn more about crowdfunding and entrepreneurship. Short on time? Here's what we talked about. Roy Morejon was excited to continue growing the podcast...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Mark Coombs, Co-Founder of Sleepout and creator of Sleepout Home. Sleepout Curtain and Sleepout Home are blackout curtains that block all the light from windows. When they initially approached curtain companies with the idea, they were told it was impossible, and no one would support it. After their first successful Kickstarter campaign, Mark and Hannah, the other co-founder, took customer feedback and their own experience of purchasing a...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Chris Cronin, Co-Founder of Kitanica and creator of Scorpion Pack. From making it to the big screen and being worn by celebrities including the Rock, Kitanica’s products have amassed a large following before launching on Kickstarter. Their first crowdfunding campaign was Scorpion Pack. Scorpion Pack is the ultimate lumbar waist pack for your gear and has raised over $100,000 with the help of almost 1,000 backers​, 38% of which are...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jack Yao, Co-Founder of Mobile Pixels and creator of Geminos. A repeat interviewee on Art of the Kickstart, Jack is also a repeat million-dollar campaign creator on Kickstarter. Jack and the rest of the Mobile Pixels team are now on their fifth campaign: Geminos. Geminos is a dual-screen desktop monitor that fully funded in 36 minutes and has raised almost $2 million with the help of over 2,000 backers. Listen to learn the lessons Jack...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Eric Kurbanov, founder of RKIN and creator of U1. When Kurbanov realized how much bottled water he’d been consuming, he set out looking for a better way. His research showed him how inherently unsustainable and unhealthy bottled water was. Eventually, he created  U1, a 4-in-1 reverse osmosis water purification system. With a preexisting customer base and ten years of customer feedback, Kurbanov launched his Kickstarter campaign. Listen to...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstarter, we spoke with Chad Hickman and Garret Prather, creators of Yardball. This Kickstarter campaign has earned the support of almost 2,000 backers, which pushes Yardball’s motto, the ball for all. Yardball started as a tape ball that was tossed in the office, and the team worked through multiple prototypes and name changes to get ready for launch. Listen to learn how Chad and Garret took a ball of tape and transformed it into Yardball. Short on...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Hunter Sparrow, Magpie’s Marketing and Sales Analyst. Magpie’s most recent campaign, Kiko, garnered the support of over 400 backers and raised above $50,000. The team focused on the feedback from their audience and lessons they’ve learned from previous campaigns to help improve and develop their campaign. Listen to learn more about the team’s approach to launching Kiko on Kickstarter.  Short on time? Here's what we talked...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Gilad Warter, Co-Founder of Auto Mount. What started as a career in managing Amazon and e-commerce revenue has grown into new ideas and launching a Kickstarter campaign. His latest venture, Knotix, is a universal adventure roof rack with sales flying well past its funding goal on Kickstarter. Listen now to learn how Gilad foresees the future of Knotix and his other ventures. Short on time? Here's what we talked...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ron Hauser, Co-founder of LulleVibes and creator of the LulleVibes Travel Towel. As a first-time creator, Ron had a lot to learn about the crowdfunding industry but did his due diligence while designing the LulleVibes Travel Towel before launching on Kickstarter. Ron’s company is built on sustainability, and 246 backers helped bring his project to life. Listen to learn how Ron and his team overcame their unfamiliarity with Kickstarter and...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Will Ranscombe, Founder of Tend Deep. Formerly in the investment banking and asset management industry, Will was looking for a change of pace when he was inspired to design Tend Deep. What started as a simple conversation in 2020 turned into a tendinopathy tool that utilizes vibrations to alleviate pain. Listen now to learn how Will and the rest of the Tend Deep team prototyped and prepped Tend Deep for crowdfunding. Short on time?...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Ryan Chung, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of International at Unlimeat. What started as a plant-based meat brand in Korea has expanded to the United States through the company’s Kickstarter campaign. The team focused on weaving their goal of reducing food waste into every aspect of Unlimeat. Listen to learn more about the brand’s rise and challenges the Unlimeat team faced while entering the plant-based food industry. Short on...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jay Gibb, CEO and Founder of CloudSponge. CloudSponge is a provider of contact picker software that many crowdfunding platforms use to help campaigns go viral. Their software allows project creators and backers to easily access their address books to share campaigns with their family, friends and colleagues. Listen to learn how CloudSponge operates and produces dramatically better results for crowdfunding campaign creators.  Short...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstarter, we spoke with Patrick Castellano, Founder of Gadget User. Gadget User’s website shares the latest and most innovative creative tech products. From highlighting startups and e-commerce brands to reviewing innovative products, Patrick and his team have built a brand with a loyal following of tech enthusiasts. Listen to learn how a young entrepreneur turned his digital marketing background into Gadget User. Short on time? Here's what we talked...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Daniel Huynh and Dominic Madden, Creators of Baby Ninjas. As a game designer and game developer duo, Huynh and Madden created a card game that draws out the competition among players, or as they like to call them, ninjas. The idea for Baby Ninjas came from changing baby diapers during quarantine and has grown into a physical card game that launched on Kickstarter. Listen to learn more about the team’s process as they developed and...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Zbyněk Suba, the founder of Snowfeet and creator of Assled V2. After deciding to leave college to pursue business, Zbyněk created Snowfeet and Assled. Although similar products were available near his hometown, he capitalized on selling them abroad and used the power of viral videos to raise awareness of his company. Listen to learn how Zbyněk and his team brought a brand-new product to snow enthusiasts around the globe through...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Scott Kobryn, the co-founder and co-creator of the Wild Fire 4-in-1. After almost 25 different prototypes, the Wild Fire 4-in-1 team perfected their design and launched their campaign on Kickstarter, raising over $100,000. The Wild Fire4-in-1 can quickly reach temperatures of up to 1200F for pizzas, searing and finishing food while swinging just as quickly back to traditional grilling temperatures with multiple grilling and warming...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jonathan Habshush, CEO and Co-Founder of HEAVYS. HEAVYS is changing the way listeners take enjoy heavy metal music. Not only are these engineered headphones protecting the ears of future heavy metal listeners, but they’re also enhancing the listener experience. Listen to learn how Habshush and his team have raised over $1 Million on Kickstarter.  Short on time? Here's what we talked about. Habshush and the other...

In this episode of Art of the Kickstart, we spoke with Jackson and Gavin Mann, the father-son duo behind SOS Save Our Species. At 15 years old, Jackson turned a trip to Costa Rica into a wildlife card game with the intent to donate 100% of the future profits from his game to charity. Jackson and Gavin built a game meant to make a big, positive change ​by prototyping​ multiple gameplays and working with the World Wildlife Fund. Listen to learn how Jackson and Gavin turned tens of thousands of...