New York Congressional District #13

District Success Story:
BrightFingers

BrightFingers is an engaging new way for elementary school children to learn keyboarding, using a unique light-up keyboard, app, and color-coded gloves. The idea grew out of its inventor’s personal frustrations with trying to learn computer keyboarding. It was a product idea that had been rattling around in his head for years before he found the right moment to pursue it. Owner and Inventor Istvan Szent-Miklosy is an engineer by trade. Much of his career has been oriented toward bridging the gap between new technologies and the nontechnical people that make up the vast majority of their users. He has been developing BrightFingers for the past 2 years. After attending a trade show and accepting orders for 120 units, he needed some help finding production capital and consulted the Columbia Harlem SBDC for assistance.  Working with Advisor Glamis Haro, Istvan developed a business plan including financial projections.  He had raised funds through angel investors and crowdfunding, including $14,000 through a Kickstarter campaign. With SBDC assistance, Istvan improved his credit and received a small traditional loan. He is manufacturing and selling BrightFingers, having received the first $60,000 in inventory. Teachers in 10 states have purchased BrightFingers to pilot in their schools, and three schools in the Northeast have placed multiple-unit computer lab orders in the last month. Istvan has also sent keyboards to 10 foreign countries to date, most coming from pre-orders from the Kickstarter campaign. Future plans include exhibiting BrightFingers at several upcoming education community events, including an EdSurge Summit in Boston, ISTE in Philadelphia, and the NYC DOE's School Technology Summit.