Building Better, Faster: How We Launch New Products

Owners and engineers submit questions beforehand, then receive focused consulting on cutting timelines and reducing risks in their own projects.

Launching new products has never been more complex or more critical to growth. Between intellectual property, prototyping, capital, manufacturability, and brand, many manufacturers lose time and money in the gaps between experts.

In this interactive session, hosted by the Georgia Manufacturing Alliance, you will see how experienced partners and a proven manufacturer work together to move products from idea to full production faster and with less risk.

We will walk through a real-world product journey using a practical, stage-based framework that Shane introduced in our planning meeting:

• Idea stage. Defining the concept and validating it through customer discovery, market validation, and early financial modeling.
• Prototype stage. Building internal prototypes to test feasibility and function, even when the customer never sees these versions.
• Minimum viable product (MVP). Creating something real you can put in front of customers to get feedback and iterate.
• Minimum marketable product (MMP). Finalizing the first version you will actually take to market, where you align product market fit and language market fit.
• Production. Moving into full scale manufacturing, where design for manufacturing, tooling choices, brand, and timing all matter.

When you register, you will receive a brief questionnaire where you can share:

• What kind of products you make and which stage you are in today.
• Your biggest challenges, questions, or roadblocks right now.

Our moderator will use these responses to guide targeted questions to the panel and to select a handful of real scenarios to unpack live. Afterward, you will have the opportunity for brief, focused consulting conversations with panelists to dig into your situation. We will answer the most thorough questions during the event.

The educational panel discussion will be from 11:00-1:30. 

Lunch will be provided.

Russell Dunlap
Shareholder at Buchalter

Russ is a Shareholder in the firm’s Atlanta office and a member of the Intellectual Property practice group. He advises clients on protecting their innovations through patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, with a strategic focus on product development, costs, licensing opportunities, and competitive positioning. He has extensive experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications and managing large patent portfolios across a broad range of mechanical technologies, including construction equipment, medical devices, consumer products, and packaging. Before becoming an attorney, Russell worked as a mechanical engineer designing plumbing and HVAC systems for commercial projects.

Kriston Sellier

Founder and CEO of id8

Kriston Sellier has owned id8, an award-winning branding agency, for 25 years. She has helped companies big, small, local and global to find their brand voice and to succeed in a crowded and competitive market. Kriston searches for ways to grow and challenge herself and her team. This tenacity has brought success time and time again to id8, including a spot in the 2020 Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year | Cobb Chamber, the Top 25 Best Small Businesses in Working Mother magazine, and numerous awards from Graphic Design USA and AGDA.

Izabela Sliwinska

Operations Manager at PaliProto

Izabela is the Operations Manager at PaliProto 3D Printing and Scanning, a company focused on additive manufacturing, prototyping, scanning, and education. She manages operations, client communications, administration, process improvement, facilities, marketing, and business growth—while also keeping day-to-day production running smoothly. Izabela is committed to continuously expanding her expertise in design software, 3D scanning, and additive manufacturing technologies. She is passionate about advancing her knowledge of materials, applications, and the broader manufacturing ecosystem, with a strong focus on Georgia.

Kevin Roman 

Engineer at PaliProto 

Kevin is an Engineer at PaliProto 3D Printing and Scanning, where he specializes in additive manufacturing, 3D scanning, and product development. He plays a key role in transforming concepts into functional prototypes and production-ready solutions, supporting clients across a variety of industries. With a strong technical foundation and hands-on approach, Kevin works closely with advanced design software and emerging manufacturing technologies to optimize performance, efficiency, and quality. His work spans material selection, process refinement, and application development within the rapidly evolving additive manufacturing space. Kevin is passionate about innovation and continuously expands his expertise to stay at the forefront of new technologies, helping drive forward-thinking solutions within Georgia’s growing manufacturing ecosystem.

Shane Matthews

Inventor

Shane an inventor, entrepreneur, and product developer driven by a passion for turning ideas into reality. As an inventor or co-inventor on more than a dozen patents—with additional filings pending—he has a proven track record of creating and launching innovative products and companies. He has contributed to the development of well-known products such as Nerf’s “AirJet,” advanced manufacturing processes for lithium-ion batteries, and other proprietary technologies. Beyond his own work, Shane mentors inventors and startups, helping guide new ideas from concept to market while fostering innovation within the broader technology community.

Sloan MacKarvich

CBDO at Tie Down

Sloan serves as Chief Business Development Officer at Tie Down, a Georgia-based manufacturer operating in the Atlanta area since 1981. In this role, Sloan leads strategic growth initiatives, builds key partnerships, and drives new business opportunities across diverse industries. Tie Down is a privately owned, world-class metal fabrication company known for its engineering-first approach and continuous investment in advanced manufacturing technologies. With the capability to handle highly complex projects at both high and low volumes, the company has earned a reputation for exceptional quality and performance among leading industrial firms. Sloan plays a critical role in expanding Tie Down’s market presence and connecting customers with innovative fabrication solutions that meet the highest standards of precision, reliability, and scale.

GMA is pleased to provide this unique educational and networking event specifically designed to help build strategic alliances between suppliers, service providers, and manufacturers in Georgia.

   Thank you to our event sponsor, Buchalter!

If you have any questions, please email support@georgiamanufacturing.com.