HSN and Good Housekeeping Magazine Announce Finalists of Nationwide Entrepreneur Search

NEW YORK and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 14, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading entertainment and lifestyle retailer, HSN, and Good Housekeeping magazine have selected nine finalists from more than 600 qualified submissions in their search to find America’s next great entrepreneur and game-changing consumer product. The finalists and their products will appear in the December issue of Good Housekeeping, on newsstands November 15 and on HSN on Monday, December 5 from 6 to 7 p.m. EST and Tuesday, December 6 from 7 to 8 a.m. EST. The winning product will be considered to receive the coveted Good Housekeeping Seal and its creator will be named an HSN American Dreams Entrepreneur.

Building on HSN’s American Dreams initiative — a program designed to cultivate entrepreneurs and introduce innovative new products to the marketplace — HSN, which broadcasts to approximately 94 million homes and Good Housekeeping, which reaches an audience of more than 25 million, launched a nationwide search to find a passionate entrepreneur with a new and unique product. In August, a two-day judging event at HSN’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, FL brought more than 75 dynamic entrepreneurs before a powerful panel of judges for the chance to be selected as one of nine finalists to appear on HSN.  Consumers can learn about the nine finalists, watch them make their pitches, shop the products and vote for their favorite to be considered for the HSN Customer Choice Award on HSN’s American Dreams page, beginning Monday, November 14.

“HSN is the ultimate destination for entrepreneurs — there is nothing more gratifying than hearing their stories, bringing their product ideas to market and making their American Dreams come true,” noted Bill Brand, President, HSN. “We are thrilled with the finalists and look forward to their on-air debut in December.”

“We were looking for inventions that could be game-changers for the GH + HSN audience—products to make their lives easier, particularly if that means a simpler, more elegant solution than we’ve ever seen before,” states Jane Francisco, Editor-in-Chief of Good Housekeeping.  “We are extremely excited about the nine finalists—who stood out from hundreds of submissions.”

The nine finalists are:

• Laurie Steinfeld (Los Angeles, CA), who created The Original Wall Stamp, a flexible, translucent rubber tool with a built-in level to seamlessly create wall designs using paint
• Gui Wang, LAC and Steven Wang, M.D. (New York, NY), who created the Dr. Wang Eczema Ointment, an herb-based balm that helps protect skin from irritation, while promoting hydration and soothing skin without steroids by using the combined expertise of both Western and Eastern healing practices
• Chris Dickson, M.D. (Asheboro, NC), who created The Lounge Doctor Leg Rest, the only patented pillow designed by a physician to position legs and maximize circulation, improve comfort and reduce swelling from surgery, pregnancy or extended lengths of activity
• Robert Kushner and Michael Stoll (Long Beach, CA), who created the Mistral Mini Mandoline from Urban Trend, a speedy two-way slicer for fruits or veggies that cuts produce twice as fast by slicing in two directions
• Erin Borges (Carmel, CA), who created the GoGo^TM Gift Bag, a goof-proof gift bag the includes built-in tissue paper at the top
• Alicia Kelley (Raleigh, NC), who created the Mr. Big Curling Iron, which features a unique eight-inch barrel to help curl long or thick hair in one pass
• PJ McGuire (Chicago, IL), who created the Wrapperoo, a two-sided water- and heat-resistant cape that doubles as a T-shirt hair towel
• Jeff Hauer (Cincinnati, OH), who created the Travel Head Pillow, which features a patented shape that fits between travelers’ shoulders and neck, allowing for rest even without the window seat
• John Vernieu and Pat Roscopf (San Marcos, CA), who created the Re-Grip, a tool that adds a patented non-slip comfort grip to any tool without glue or heat

Each of the finalists’ products were tested in the Good Housekeeping Institute to be considered for the Good Housekeeping Seal, which the winning product will earn for one year if selected. The Seal, introduced in 1909, is among the most recognized consumer icons in the world and is also backed by a limited warranty that provides a replacement or refund for up to $2,000 if a product proves defective within two years of purchase.

The panel of judges was comprised of members from  Good Housekeeping and HSN, including: Good Housekeeping Editor-in-Chief Jane Francisco, Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist, Good Housekeeping Institute; Dara Trujillo, VP, Merchandise New Business Development, HSN; Chris Gassett, Assistant General Counsel, HSN; Birnur Aral, Director of Beauty and Health Sciences, Good Housekeeping Institute; Matt Demers, VP, Quality Assurance, HSN; Heather Holdsworth, VP, Merchandise Planning, HSN; Sandy Conrad, SVP, Electronics and Housewares, HSN; Neal Martinelli, VP, Electronics Merchandising, HSN; and Adam Marland, Senior Buyer, Culinary, HSN.

HSN and Good Housekeeping will determine the winner based on ingenuity, quality and public response of the product. The winner will appear in Good Housekeeping’s April 2017 issue and will be invited to sell their product on-air at HSN following the issue release.

For more information about HSN and American Dreams please visit http://www.hsn.com/ and follow our social channels: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HSN Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hsn/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/hsn.

For more information about Good Housekeeping, please visit: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/ and follow our social channels: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GOODHOUSEKEEPING Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodhousekeeping and Twitter: https://twitter.com/goodhousemag.