Eric Knight is a man with big ideas but his latest big idea is helping little businesses get off their feet.
Among his big ideas was creating the world’s first global “e-commerce” systems. It was a dial-up computer system that grew to nearly 10,000 subscribers from more than 70 countries, and accepted online credit-card orders many years before the practice of e-commerce became widespread.
Knight is the president of Remarkable Technologies in Farmington’s Unionville section — a company that he founded in 1994. Over the years, according to his official bio, the company has focused on providing innovative products and services that enhance business and empower people.
In 1996, Eric’s “Para-Shirt” invention was featured as one of the top inventions in America by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. As an inventor, Eric has been on numerous television programs and networks (such as CNN, The Discovery Channel, and the BBC) as we’ll as a variety of talk shows, including a guest appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.
“I’m an adventurer. I like building businesses. I like starting out,” he said. “I want to pass that along to anybody who will listen.”
For the past two years, he has been teaching budding entrepreneurs how to succeed through a program at the University of Connecticut. “A lot of the stuff that is exciting me right now is at the University of Connecticut,” Knight said. Some schools have scholars-in-residence. Knight is an entrepreneur in residence.
“I don’t think there is any more noble profession than teaching,” Knight said. “I can’t think of a more interesting profession. I really enjoy conveying the fun of doing things you love and making a living doing them.”
Knight’s excitement peaks when talking about his students. “I give them the permission to think of business ideas,” he said enthusiastically.
He spoke specifically of two who came up to him with an idea after a lecture one day. Knight liked what he heard, worked with the students to secure funding for a prototype, and guided them every step of the way through lining up meetings potential investors.
The duo, who have invented convertible headphones using earbuds widely used in iPods and other devices, also came up with an entrepreneurial way to raise money: hiring buses to transport university students to popular concerts. Over one semester the two raised $71,000 with the bus trips.
“Now they’ve got the cash to apply to the other things they are working on. These are going to be two wealthy individuals,” Knight added.
Matthew Nemerson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council, said Knight is being too modest in his contributions. “He is one of the most generous people,” Nemerson said, adding that Knight deserves praise for enhancing entrepreneurship.
“He’s an asset to the whole state. He still has his hand in running a successful business, which gives him credibility,” Nemerson continued. “He’s one of the most influential people when it comes to the case for entrepreneurship.”
Nemerson mentioned Knight’s role as running one of the four hubs of the Connecticut Innovation Ecosystem initiative implemented by Connecticut Innovations. The Innovation Ecosystem is one of several new initiatives being launched by CI under its recently announced plan to deploy $250 million over the next five years, including $125 million in new funding from the State of Connecticut. The Innovation Ecosystem will be supported with $4.8 million in the first year from this pool of new state funding.
Nemerson said if Knight hadn’t become involved in the Innovation Ecosystem he would have been drafted as part of any job-development role. “We would be pushing him to take a major role wherever he wanted,” Nemerson said.
Knight grew somewhat quiet as he pondered the question of what his next big idea is going to be. “My big idea is making other ideas come to fruition. My big idea is helping others do ideas on a shoestring budget.”
