Madison, NJ (March 10, 2010) — Lindsay Phillips, the energetic inspiration and founding force behind her namesake company and the now-famous SwitchFlop, will deliver the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship’s 2010 Female Entrepreneur Lecture at Fairleigh Dickinson University. The lecture, entitled “Why Didn’t I Think of That (My Business Story)?” will take place on Friday, March 26 at 6 p.m.
Phillips’s footwear concept evolved from a high school art project—ceramic flip flops. Amazed by the positive response to her artwork and by people’s disappointment that it could not be worn, Lindsay began designing functional flops with colorful straps, each adorned by a unique button. Her idea evolved when she realized that by using hook-and-loop fasteners she could create one shoe with many straps leading to unlimited choices with minimal effort. This simple, yet brilliant innovation was the birth of SwitchFlop. Lindsay applied for a patent on her idea before she graduated high school.
During her college years Lindsay perfected her interchangeable design. Her travels to Europe for classes and her voyage around the world on the Semester at Sea exposed her to a kaleidoscope of cultures, colors, and patterns that would influence her strap designs. Lindsay honed her design, merchandising and manufacturing skills working summers at Polo Ralph Lauren's leather goods division in New York City. After her patent was granted in 2004, she joined forces with her mother, Liz, to start her business and find a manufacturer. SwitchFlop made its retail debut in January 2007 at the Surf Expo Trade Show in Orlando where it was showcased as a new and innovative product. Orders started rolling in and explosive growth followed.
With the amazing variety of SwitchFlops' strap designs and sandals, Lindsay's dream of changing from beach casual to a formal affair in a matter of seconds was realized. She was recently named by the Star-Ledger as one of the Top 10 Business People to Watch.
The lecture continues a strong annual tradition of influential Female Entrepreneur Lecturers at the Rothman Institute. Previous speakers include Ranjini Poddar, Co-Founder and President of Artech Information Systems LLC, Lillian Rodríguez López, president of the Hispanic Federation, Ann Limberg, President, Bank of America New Jersey; Doris Drucker, who started a national manufacturing company from scratch at the age of 82; Peg Brady, Executive Director of Medical Missions for Children; and Diahann Lassus, CFP and CPA, co-founder and president of Lassus Wherley & Associates, P.C.
The annual lecture is part of the Female Entrepreneurs’ Alliance, which was founded to educate and support women business owners. It will be held in conjunction with the awards ceremony for the 2010 New Jersey Business Idea Competition, a program designed to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset among high school students.
The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m. and the lecture by Lindsay Phillips will start at 7:15 p.m. in Hennessy Hall (the Mansion), on FDU’s College at Florham. It is free and open to the public; due to limited seating, registration is required by March 22. For more information, call 973 443 8842 or visit http://www.fdu.edu/rothman.
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