At Picklehead LLC, teenage inventor Robert “RJ” Batts created Tip Tough®, a kitchen safety product designed to protect chefs and home cooks from cuts while preparing food. The company began after RJ sought a way to protect his professional-chef father’s hands and developed the product through the Young Entrepreneurs Academy while still in middle school. Picklehead’s products are made in the USA, and RJ now uses the business to encourage other young people to invent and pursue entrepreneurship.
Kiddies Food KutterKiddies Food Kutter makes safety kitchen tools that let children help cut and peel fruit and vegetables, including its original safety knife, larger Safety Food Kutter and bladeless peeler. Australian-made and owned, the company designs its tools for children as young as two, as well as elderly and physically challenged users, with a focus on building kitchen confidence and independence. Its products were also once sold for children to safely help hollow out Halloween pumpkins.LANCASTER, PA
PreparaFounded in 2007 by a team of product designers, engineers, and food lovers, Prepara designs kitchenware that rethinks everyday cooking and food preparation. The Ridgefield Park company is best known for turning practical problems into distinctive tools, from its Salad Pod and Latchlok Click containers to taco-shaped cutting mats that fold for spill-free transfers. Its designs have received GOOD DESIGN and Housewares Design Awards and have appeared twice on Oprah’s Favorite Things list.NEW YORK, NY
StoveGuardFounded by Matthew McCarthy in a one-car garage, StoveGuard grew from a family-centered effort to eliminate the chore of scrubbing messy gas stovetops. The company makes custom-fit kitchen protection for homeowners, including its precision-molded StoveGuard PRO, designed to catch spills before they reach the appliance.BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, OH
GrypmatAfter watching his tools slide off aircraft while working as an aircraft mechanic, veteran and inventor Tom Burden spent three years prototyping the Grypmat in his basement and turned the idea into a flexible, non-slip tool mat for professional and DIY mechanics. The Celina, Ohio company’s signature mat is made from food-grade silicone, withstands heat up to 500°F, and gives tools a stable home on a work surface. Grypmat later gained national attention when Burden secured a deal on Shark Tank.CELINA, OH