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 Keynote Speaker

Michael Plishka

Innovator, Artist, Engineer, Musician, Poet, Bonsai Crafter, Hockey/Soccer Goali
Articles
152
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579,000
Location
Lake Villa, IL
Member Since
Oct 2008
Michael has worked for over years in the Healthcare Industry, working with clinicians and patients to design and develop better products and services. He has won multiple corporate awards and has over 20 patents issued and pending in the US and internationally. In 2008, he founded ZenStorming(TM), a creativity, innovation and design consultancy . He continues to design products but also provides training to help people and companies be more creative and make a difference. He strongly believes in co-design methodologies, sharing design thinking essentials - empowering people to design. He is also a board member of Asset Builders Community Development Corporation – dedicated to helping the financially disadvantaged become self-sufficient. He has also spearheaded an inter-religious dialogue between his Faith Community and the local Muslim Community. He has a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Arts in Theology w/Spirituality-Ethics focus. He is also a Musician, Artist, Poet, Bonsai Crafter, Hockey/Soccer Goalie, Luge-er, Fencer, Fisherman, and fearless cook.
Bacterial-Stained Glass Lighting
Bacterial-Stained Glass Lighting
These Bespoke Bacteria Lights were Designed by Ian Klingler
These beautiful bacteria lights are works of art conceived by designer Ian Klingler. The pieces are created by carefully choosing the bacteria and the nourishment they receive. In controlled... MORE
Mobile Science-Themed RVs
Mobile Science-Themed RVs
Purple Me Green Offers STEM Toys and Educational Classes
Purple Me Green is a purple RV and a mobile science store, all in one. This educational vehicle is owned by husband and wife team, Fred and Mary Stupen. Inside the vehicle visitors will find walls... MORE
Pain-Free Curly Hair Stylings
Pain-Free Curly Hair Stylings
The PuffCuff Was Awarded the Sally Beauty Innovation Award
Maintaining curly hair can be a challenge and those looking to do so with more ease should look no further than the PuffCuff. This simple, beautiful product enables one to control and style long... MORE
Apple Cider Vinegar-Based Tonics
Apple Cider Vinegar-Based Tonics
Fire Brew Sells Health Shots in a Whiskey Bottle
While the Fire Brew Apple Cider Vinegar drinks may look like alcoholic beverages, these bottles actually contain a tangy “shot’  of tonic that’s full of extracted vitamins and... MORE
Asteroid Mining Degrees
Asteroid Mining Degrees
The Colorado School of Mines Teaches ExtraTerrestrial Mining
Until now, harvesting natural resources from asteroids and other planetary bodies has been relegated to the future world of science fiction.  The Colorado School of Mines believes the future is... MORE
Customizable 3D-Printed Mannequins
Customizable 3D-Printed Mannequins
Functional Art is Taken to a New Level with These Designs
Various types of mannequins have been a part of the fashion industry since the 15th century but Hans Boodt’s printed Mannequins are a long way from the ‘old school’ tiny, wooden... MORE
Playful Diaper Rash Packaging
Playful Diaper Rash Packaging
Boudreaux's 'Butt Paste' Brings a Smile to Faces of All Kinds
Nothing brings a smile to a face like a smiling baby. That, and the words, “butt paste.” The re-designed, re-launched packaging for Boudreaux’s Butt Paste features bright yellow,... MORE
Produce-Based Leather
Produce-Based Leather
The Willem de Kooning Academie Turns Food Waste Into Usable Fruit Leather
Food waste is a monumental problem on the domestic, commercial and worldwide scale—outdoor markets in the Netherlands’ Rotterdam alone throw out over three tons of waste every day! A... MORE
3D-Printed Paper Products
3D-Printed Paper Products
Mcor Technologies Continues to Revolutionize 3D Printing
Most 3D prints are typically high cost and not very environmentally friendly. They are also usually one color, though some newer technologies enable printing with multiple colors. Mcor Technologies... MORE
Elegant Humidifiers
Elegant Humidifiers
Miro's Cleanpot Redefines the Humidifier Paradigm with its Chic Design
Humidifiers have been designed according to one paradigm: pour water into a plastic container, hit some buttons and water unceremoniously mists out the top. The Miro CleanPot politely but... MORE
Ceramic Dust Art
Ceramic Dust Art
This Designer Completely Transforms the Idea of Dirty Dust Bunnies
Designer Lucie Libotte see dust as more than just something to be swept away and hidden under our furniture and the corners of a home.  She actually creates ceramic art with it, conveying the... MORE
Affordable Prosthetic Nipples
Affordable Prosthetic Nipples
Michelle Kolath-Arbel Created an Affordable Way to Cope Post Surgery
After breast cancer surgery many women are left with both emotional and physical scars from the invasive experience. Often, breasts are left disfigured, looking nothing like they did prior to the... MORE
Curvaceous MRI Designs
Curvaceous MRI Designs
These Futuristic Imaging Machines Will Transform the Ways Doctors Work
These MRI systems from Chinese company Magspin Technologies are not what you’d expect to see when walking into a healthcare facility. With a goal of providing comfort and convenience, these... MORE
Cloud Object-Finding Services
Cloud Object-Finding Services
Linquet Connects Users to Objects and People
Linquet provides the first cloud based anti-loss system for keys and other variables. It is also the foundation for tracking people and objects in a Sharing Economy. Users attach a small device to... MORE
Lunar Thirst Quenchers
Lunar Thirst Quenchers
This Sports Drink is Made with Water From the Moon
Picture this: you’re sitting on your moon porch after a hard day collecting rocks, the Earth is setting and you’re sipping on a cool glass of Pocari Sweat Sports Drink. That could be the reality... MORE
In-Shell Egg Scramblers
In-Shell Egg Scramblers
The KitchenGoose Makes Eggs in an Unconventional Way
Everybody has their own recipe for scrambled eggs (I prefer mixing in some milk and perhaps a little cheese, then frothing it up good). Now, thanks to the new KitchenGoose, I can pre-scramble my... MORE
Light-Transmitted Wi-Fi
Light-Transmitted Wi-Fi
Internet Connectivity Through Light Looks to be Likely
It seems that WiFi access is never around when you need it. So what do we do?  Typically we look to see if there’s a local network that we can tap into and hope for the best.Thanks to the folks... MORE
Light-Manipulating Lenses
Light-Manipulating Lenses
Smartlight Electrofluidics Direct Light Where Its Needed
Light can penetrate the deepest, darkest crevices of a building thanks to the SmartLight electrofluidics lenses.  The SmartLight is a grid made of millimeter size fluid cells that change shape... MORE
Automated Snore Stoppers
Automated Snore Stoppers
Pillow Adjusts Your Sleep Position
Snoring isn’t just bad for the partner sleeping next to you, it’s bad for your health as well.  While snoring often wakes the snorer, more often than not, she goes on blissfully... MORE
Self-Healing Plastics
Self-Healing Plastics
Research from the University of Illinois Could Change the World of Plastic
Plastics are everywhere in our daily lives.  The problem is that when plastic products break, we generally have two choices. One is to throw it out, which is not the best solution, because most... MORE
Touch-Free Technology Systems
Touch-Free Technology Systems
Sesame Enable is Opening the Door to Hands-Free Touchscreen Use
Touchscreens have changed the way we interact with technology, but for a wide number of people with disabilities, such as those suffering from paralysis, they are still inaccessible. Thanks to Sesame-... MORE
Fresh Food Vending Machines
Fresh Food Vending Machines
The Vending Machine Farmer's Market Makes it Easy to Eat Well
Farmer’s Fridge is a vending machine farmer’s market that’s changing the way consumers see on-the-go food. Farmer’s Fridge is a rustic looking vending machine featuring mason... MORE
iPod-Inspired Aids
iPod-Inspired Aids
The Nano Hearing Aid Looks Suspiciously Familiar
As eyeglasses have made the transition from medical device to fashion statement, the Nano Hearing Aid has made auditory assistance a stylish accessory. The device by Eli Electronics bears an aesthetic… MORE
Avian-Alerting Decals
Avian-Alerting Decals
The WindowAlert Window Stickers Warn Birds to be Wary
Though squeaky-clean windows are nice to look through, if they're clear to you, they're clear to birds, meaning that unless you have the WindowAlert Decals handy, there's a chance you'll have a bird fly… MORE
Health-Monitoring Watches
Health-Monitoring Watches
University of Leicester Changes the Face of Blood Pressure Measurement
Researchers at the University of Leicester and in Singapore have developed a wristwatch-like device that senses the pulse and then mathematically models what the pressure is within the aorta near the heart.… MORE
Yoga Parking Tickets
Yoga Parking Tickets
Yoga Poses Make Ticketing a More Relaxing Process
Parking Tickets are never a pleasure to receive.  There is an unceremonious aspect to coming back to one’s car and finding a token of appreciation from the local police department. Even worse is when the… MORE
Portable Ultrasounds
Portable Ultrasounds
The USB Smartphone Probe is a Handy Piece of Medical Machinery
William Richard, Ph.D. of Washington University is well on the way to providing the USB Smartphone Probe, allowing for an easy ultrasound on-the-go. Richard has shrunk down the electronics of a cabinet-sized… MORE
Singing Sandwich Containers
Singing Sandwich Containers
Tesco's World Cup Packaging Serenades Fans
Singing and chanting (and yes, even vuvuzelas) are always a part of the experience of soccer's World Cup. Now, Tesco is adding to that singing sandwiches to that list. Based on the same technology as… MORE
Yoga Seating
Yoga Seating
The Gayolab Office Chair for Yoga Will Set You Straight
Usually, people have to take a break from their day and go off to a quiet place in order to reap the true benefits of yoga. The GayoLab Office Chair for Yoga, however, will allow you to do yoga wherever… MORE
Interactive Virtual Windows
Interactive Virtual Windows
Winscape Gives a New Meaning to "Room With a View"
Imagine: You wake up and look out the window and see a glorious sunrise over the ocean. That night, you watch the sun set over the Rockies... and you've never left your house. Winscape from Rationalcraft… MORE
Upcycled Amo Rings
Upcycled Amo Rings
Adi Zaffran Weisler Crafts Rings From Bullet Fragments
Fire and metal have been used to create jewelry since humans have been able to hammer and shape molten pieces of metal. Little did our ancient ancestors realize that their prodigy would be making jewelry… MORE
Armored Fabric
Armored Fabric
Scientists Develop Means of Making Ultra-Lightweight Wearable Armor
We've seen chainmail t-shirts, now scientists at the University of South Carolina have created a wearable armor-type material that is soft, lightweight, stretchy and generally feels like a material. By… MORE
Color Changing Egg Boilers
Color Changing Egg Boilers
The Egg-Per'fect Egg Timer Takes the Guesswork out of Boiling Eggs
When I saw the Egg-Per'fect egg timer at the Housewares show, I slowed as I passed the display table. Two steps more and I was at a complete stop. I was intrigued by the claims being made by the gentleman… MORE
Lego-Like Dishware
Lego-Like Dishware
Placematix Wants Kids to Eat, Play and Learn
As children, we were often told not to play with our food. The developers of Placematix take issue with that tradition as their motto is 'Eat, Play, Learn!' and their goal is to get children to use their… MORE
Frying Pan Artistry
Frying Pan Artistry
Giaretti Cookware Adds Color and Style to Wall Art
While walking the floor of the International Housewares Show, I came across these works of art courtesy of Giaretti in Italy. With Italian class, they're beautiful, catchy and endearing at first glance.… MORE
Transforming Glass Displays
Transforming Glass Displays
AIST Develops See-Through Solar Fluorescent Glass Technology
Imagine looking out your window and wanting instead to watch TV.  Instead of drawing the drapes and grabbing the remote, you click a button on the remote that instantly converts your window into the TV.… MORE

Featured Ideas

Elastic Electronics
Elastic Electronics
University of Tokyo Creates Sensor Packed Skins
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have found a way to manufacture highly stretchable and yet conductive materials. While other conductive materials exist, none so far have the stretchiness or the… MORE
Personal Brainwave Recorders
Personal Brainwave Recorders
The Forehead-Mounted Zeo Sleep Monitor Tracks Sleep Habits
When talking about creativity with clients, I emphasize the fact that without proper sleep, you will be fighting an uphill battle with regards to being creative. Now, a new sleep monitoring system can… MORE
Virtual Mindmapping
Virtual Mindmapping
'Personal Brain' Software Opens up the Realm of Information
One of the virtues of mindmapping is that it has the capability to depict information in non-linear fashion. Mindmapping has been taken to a new level with Personal Brain software from TheBrain.com. This… MORE
Light-Manipulating Lenses
Light-Manipulating Lenses
Smartlight Electrofluidics Direct Light Where Its Needed
Light can penetrate the deepest, darkest crevices of a building thanks to the SmartLight electrofluidics lenses.  The SmartLight is a grid made of millimeter size fluid cells that change shape... MORE
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
WoundRX Technology Gives New Hope for Chronic Wounds
Wounds that don’t heal are big business, as 5 million people are treated for open wounds in the US each day. WoundRX (from GWR Medical) is an innovative, safe and simple way to help wounds heal by applying… MORE
Humanized Temperature Gadgets
Humanized Temperature Gadgets
The Lunar Baby Thermometer
Zen: it’s the best way to describe it. We’ve all had a parent touch our foreheads to see if we have a fever. Designer Duck Young Kong has wed the loving touch of a parent with technology in his uber-elegant… MORE
Tension-Sensitive Bolts
Tension-Sensitive Bolts
Color-Changing Smartbolt Has High-Tech Aura
Using relatively simple technology, Mr. Chuck Popenoe has invented something with a high-tech aura: the Smartbolt. This device is simple, low cost, highly accurate, reliable, reusable, and best of all,… MORE
Inspirational Bling
Inspirational Bling
Michele Conti's Swarovski Inspiretee Uses Crystals for Cheer
Inspiretees are the brainchild of Michele Conti, an accomplished and award-winning seamstress who says she got her inspiration for this blinged-out fashion collection while listening to one of her pastor’s… MORE
Ceramic Dust Art
Ceramic Dust Art
This Designer Completely Transforms the Idea of Dirty Dust Bunnies
Designer Lucie Libotte see dust as more than just something to be swept away and hidden under our furniture and the corners of a home.  She actually creates ceramic art with it, conveying the... MORE
Amazing Fabric Art
Amazing Fabric Art
Benjamin Shine's Pushed, Pulled & Pleated Tulle Masterpiece
This one piece of tulle fabric has been pressed and pulled, pleated and pushed by artist Benjamin Shine to create an amazing 3’x4’ work of art. This piece is currently on exhibit at the Courvoisier Future… MORE
Cancer-Fighting Animals
Cancer-Fighting Animals
Piglets As Human Immune System Boosters
Scientists are always looking for ways of being able to implant cells into humans that bypass the defense responses of the immune system. They are also looking for ways of creating stem cells that bypass… MORE
Lunar Thirst Quenchers
Lunar Thirst Quenchers
This Sports Drink is Made with Water From the Moon
Picture this: you’re sitting on your moon porch after a hard day collecting rocks, the Earth is setting and you’re sipping on a cool glass of Pocari Sweat Sports Drink. That could be the reality... MORE
Revolutionizing Intravenous Nanotechnology
Revolutionizing Intravenous Nanotechnology
Self-Powered Microbeads
One of my favorite movies when I was growing up was Fantastic Voyage, where five people (one of whom was Racquel Welch) and their submarine-type vessel were shrunk down so they could be injected into the… MORE
Singing Sandwich Containers
Singing Sandwich Containers
Tesco's World Cup Packaging Serenades Fans
Singing and chanting (and yes, even vuvuzelas) are always a part of the experience of soccer's World Cup. Now, Tesco is adding to that singing sandwiches to that list. Based on the same technology as… MORE