Where Innovation Meets Passion

Like so many kids, I grew up dreaming big. One day, I’d be inventing the next great computer; the next, I’d imagine leading the world or flying among the stars. But while others polished their ambitions, I was the kid in the corner with a screwdriver and a wild curiosity. 

I wasn’t the star student in shop class—couldn’t cut a straight line with a saw if my life depended on it. I wasn’t the computer genius at the top of the leaderboard either. But at home? I tinkered. I took things apart, put them back together, and sometimes created something new. 

When I was just ten, I built a glass washer—the kind you now see in coffee shops and bars. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it worked. What did my parents, teachers, and society say? “Stop daydreaming, Steffan. Get a good job. Be happy.” 

Funny advice, considering my uncle invented the coating for capacitors—a true scientist, an inventor who never stopped imagining. I guess innovation runs in the family. But it wasn’t until Genoa came into my life that I felt free to truly dream again. 

Her questions, her belief in what I could do—those were the sparks that ignited many of the products you see today. Not every idea succeeded, of course. For every triumph, there were countless prototypes scrapped or abandoned. Welcome to the life of an inventor. 

Through it all, I’ve learned one thing: never let anyone tell you your dreams are wrong. No matter how big or small, how unconventional or wild—your dreams are yours, and they matter. Oh, and here’s the kicker: I’m legally blind. So if I can do it, trust me, you can too.