July 10, 2017 — Comments are off for this post.

Launching Wonder Women Collectible Enamel Pins

I've created a new Kickstarter to launch a series of Wonder Women collectible enamel pins. Each pin in the series will be inspired by and celebrate an amazing woman and her accomplishments.

These women are role models for people of any gender and they should be recognized for their contributions to the world - especially women who managed to get their ideas and talents across in a male-dominated society.

Why start with Hedy Lamar?

While you may know her as a star of the silver screen during Hollywood's "Golden Age," she was also a talented and (until recently) unsung inventor. If you're reading this on a phone one of the people you can thank is Hedy Lamarr! She co-invented "spread spectrum" technology which is part of the backbone of digital communications.

It’s about time she was recognized for all of her talents.

Each pin will come attached to a backing card. On the front, the pin will be displayed along side a reproduction of an original work by collage artist Lola Dupré. (I personally own this piece and look at it every day.)

The reverse of the card will contain information about Hedy Lamarr and her scientific and artistic contributions to the world.

The Hedy Lamarr pin is the first of (I hope) many more Wonder Women pins.

Are you aware of someone who you think deserves to be recognized? LET ME KNOW! I’d love to learn about the women who inspire you.

Please share this campaign too! The more people who are aware of it the more likely that it will be successful and lead to more pins in this series.

About the Pins:

2 inches at the tallest point. Black dyed metal plating with a butterfly clasp on back. White enamel fill with blue fill for eyes. They are designed and made in the US.

About Artist Lola Dupré:

Lola is a collage artist and illustrator with clients including Penguin Books, TIME Magazine, Nike Basketball, MAXIM Magazine, Die Welt, New Statesman, WIRED and BURTON.

She makes some of the most amazing art you will see today.

Check out her website: http://www.loladupre.com/

Published by The Owner in Uncategorized

Tags: crowdfunding, enamel pin, hedy lamarr, Kickstarter

April 10, 2017 — Comments are off for this post.

The South Bowl On Kickstarter

I just launched the South Bowl on Kickstarter. It started with a simple idea for a bowl shaped like the bottom of the world. I went through several design variations but got really motivated as a direct result of the Trump/GOP government seemingly doing everything possible to deny climate change and forgo any notion of environmental stewardship.

I felt like I had to do something as a private citizen since the government was under new and frightful management.

I’m a designer and think about what goes into making an object. I also thought about those things we truly can’t see, like the energy used. The South Bowl takes these things into account and then some via it’s 1/4 metric ton surplus voluntary carbon offset. This carbon offset is an integral part of the product - just like the raw clay, or the glaze. Without the carbon offset, there is no product.

Offsets are one means of compensating for the share of the CO2 pollution you emit (by driving, flying, using electricity, etc.) by preventing the same amount of CO2 coming from another source. The South Bowl offsets an estimated 20,000% more CO2 than what was emitted in it’s manufacture and transport.

Furthermore the South Bowl is designed is designed in Pittsburgh and will be manufactured by Portland, Oregon based Mudshark Studios - an honoree at the first every Martha Stewart American Made Awards. Backers aren’t just getting a cool bowl. They are also backing American jobs, supporting fair wages, and a safe working conditions and doing real verifiable good for the world.

I am so excited to share this project with you and the Kickstarter community.

Check out the South Bowl campaign on

UPDATE

The campaign was a success! While the tooling is being created pre-order bowls can be purchased here.

About Me

Jeremy Burnich founded JOY COMPLEX in 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

His goal: “bring clever ideas to life.” He strives to bring a smile to your face. He embraces the word “neat!” JOY COMPLEX is a factory that churns out good feeling, support, and positivity.

His work has been featured in leading industry publications and design websites.

Published by The Owner in Uncategorized

Tags: climate change, crowdfunding, Kickstarter

March 3, 2017 — Comments are off for this post.

Make 100: RESISTOR Enamel Pins – Successful!

ON January 23rd, 2017 I launched my first crowdfunding campaign as part of the Make:100 initiative on Kickstarter. It ended on February 22 with 343% funding achieved.

It was a success!

I had wanted to try a Kickstarter for a while and their Make 100 initiative - focus on an edition of 100 things - made sense. It seemed like an achievable goal. I mean, there are billions of people on the world. Chances are I could make something that at least 100 might want. Right?

I was further prompted by the inauguration of Donald Trump. I was still reeling and dumbfounded by the November election. How could half the country have elected this man to be their leader? I wasn't the only person who questioned the election and called for resistance.

I thought it was important to have a symbol for that resistance.

In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines, among other uses.

By unhappy coincidence on January 27th, Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13769 - his first Muslim ban. There were nationwide protests. Then on January 29th a federal judge on issued an emergency stay temporarily and partially preventing the enforcement of Order 13769.

I say it was unhappy coincidence because, here is a breakdown of pledges to my campaign generated by Kicktraq.

Notice any spikes?

That's right. A lot happened on the 29th. And the single largest pledge day was on the 29th. In effect, the success of the Kickstarter campaign was a reaction what Trump was doing.

It’s great that it was successful but it’s sad that the current occupant of the White House who inspired the campaign also pushed the campaign forward. Indeed, it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good.

But, we shouldn’t have to have a symbol to resist the President. But then again, we’ve never had a man like Trump be President before.

Published by The Owner in Uncategorized

Tags: crowdfunding, Kickstarter, resistor