We're Just Trying to Grow Ep. 6 with Patent Maverick Lael Alexander

Summary: Meet Lael Alexander----the engineer you don’t know, but should. Why? Because he impacts your lives, everyday, and deserves a thank you. Innovator, entrepreneur, and founder of Noitavonne, a consumer electronic manufacturer, Alexander is not only who some may call the “father of the IoT industry”, but he’s also to be thanked for your iPhone, your Blunt Wraps, and possibly, your business. How can one man be, do and deserve all of this? Listen to find out: On his initial plan: 3:00 – My plan was never to become a manufacturer or even a top designer. My plan was to solve problems. There are tons of black engineers, what makes him different?: 5:20 – These guys are operating from their desks--they’re not really stirring the ship. When I was making innovative moves, I owned my own engineer firm and I wasn’t trying to do things that were typical…I always saw fit to expand into the void---things that people weren’t really looking at. A little about his impact: 7:30 - Every smartphone ever built since 2010 has a version of our core technology embedded in it. On life in Shenzhen, China: 7:50 – I literally had to leave America to get noticed. On why he does what he does: 12:20 - Because no one else has yet. When I look at some of the works of other great men, from Martin Luther [King, Jr.] to Obama, there’s never really been a keen focus on us promoting the fact that we invent things and we have made this place better. No one puts a magnifying glass on the designer, but everyone knows the brand. 13:33 – In order to not be a stereotypical inventors in a closet, I had to establish the entire brand. On his definitive work: 15:20 - If I successfully create a pathway or entry point for people of color, specifically, to know that this is a path that they can charter for themselves, as well, and know that they have a helping hand at every stage of growth in that. Next phase of growth: 18:00 - Owning our own VC firm. I started Minority Venture Network (minorityventures.com). In the next 2 months, [people] will be able to go to a website called “go public”, put their ideas up there and allow people, like me, to be able to assist them in making their dreams a reality. Why Cannabis?: 19:18 - I’m excited about cannabis I’m not a user and have never been a user but in 1999… On creating Blunt Wraps USA: 19:58 - I ran across a guy named Danny Sinclair who had the idea to build a luxury cigar brand where people could roll up their own cigars…we put our heads together and 2 weeks later Blunt Wrap USA was born. On saving the cannabis industry: 28:04 - I built a tester….we call it a Green Leaf Test… On what he CAN’T do: 30:40 – Quit. Where to Find him If you’re a minority startup who needs help: 33:00 - www.laelalexander.com