Alan Adler
Mechanical Engineer & Inventor
“We live in an age of available resources for anybody who wants to pursue a subject.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAlan Adler
Milestones
My road in life took a while to figure out.
I was born in Detroit, Michigan, and moved with my family to Los Angeles, California, when I was six years old.
I loved building things and doing science experiments as a kid, so I naturally gravitated towards electronic engineering as I got older.
After high school, I started working in the electronics industry.
In addition to science, electronics, and engineering, I had also always been passionate about sailing, which led to me studying aerodynamics as a hobby.
I decided to use what I learned about aerodynamics to make aerodynamic toys.
I designed a Frisbee-like flying ring and licensed it to Parker Brothers—they sold over a million units and then gave the rights back to me.
In attempt to improve the design so the ring would fly straighter, I created Aerobie and then built a company around it; the Aerobie later set a Guinness World Record for farthest thrown object!
About a year after we started selling the Aerobie flying ring, I left my job in electronics to devote my time to the company.
Education
High School
Career
Mechanical Engineer & Inventor
I designed an aerodynamic flying ring.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Engineering
Science
Building Things
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for everyone
If you're interested in becoming an inventor or engineer, it's important to learn all that you can learn about the science associated with whatever it is you're trying to invent. For me, that was aerodynamics. For another inventor, it might be something else.
Recommended Education
My career is not related to what I studied. I'd recommend this path instead:
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Peers:
"We won't sell a product from an unknown company."
