David Wyman, Ph.D. helped bring to stores one of 2013’s “Must Have Toys of the Year,” according to CNNMoney.com. He is also the new director of the College of Charleston Center for Entrepreneurship in the School of Business.
David Wyman, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship
Avenger’s Iron Man Flying RC Extreme Hero is literally flying off the shelves for the upcoming 2013 holiday season. While Wyman has invented more than 50 toys, he and his partner Paul Von Mohr were the licensing agents for this one – meaning they worked with inventor Greg Tanous to make the toy more marketable, line up patent protection, and negotiate a contract with a toy company.
[Related: See the Iron Man Flying Extreme RC Hero.]
“Kids are unpredictable,” Wyman says. “We’ve received great press, and the Flying Ironman will be on Walmart endcaps for the holiday season, but you just never know.”
Entrepreneurship in Charleston
Wyman brings vast knowledge of entrepreneurship to School of Business students. He started in fall 2013, following his role as associate director of Clemson University’s Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership. This semester he is teaching Financing New Ventures and Social Entrepreneurship in addition to leading the Center for Entrepreneurship.
[Related: Learn about the Center for Entrepreneurship.]
“This is an exciting time to be in Charleston – the area is poised for a dramatic boom in entrepreneurship and small business growth,” Wyman predicts. “Boeing and the development along I-26 are transformational in terms of job opportunities. There is a regional economic boom with approximately 260 technology firms within a short radius of Charleston’s Harbor, including two new angel/venture capital groups. Change is coming.”
Since moving to Charleston, Wyman has met with key influencers in the business community who are building the infrastructure for entrepreneurial startups. He has been invited to serve on the advisory board for The Harbor Accelerator, founded by John Osborne and Patrick Bryant.
“David is a perfect addition to the rapidly growing entrepreneurial community of Charleston. He is an entrepreneur that knows how to build businesses,” says Bryant.
[Related: Learn about Dig South.]
In addition, Wyman will be a panelist at the 2014 Dig South Expo, the Southeast’s interactive festival hosted at the College of Charleston in April.
Just Tinkering Around
Entrepreneurship is part of Wyman’s DNA, stemming from his father who is also a toy inventor. He says he’s had heroic failures, but he’s also had his share of top toys like the Iron Man Flying RC Hero. His invention, “13 Dead End Drive,” a murder themed board game for Milton Bradley sold more than 3 million worldwide. His other toy inventions include: Luggers (Corgi), Big Wheelie (Empire), Mr. Tambourine Man (Fisher Price), Hot Wheels’ Road Wars (Mattel), Shift Tac Toe (Pressman), and Skate Frenzy (Wham-O).
Wyman received his bachelor’s degree in economics with honors at Cambridge University in England, his MBA at Cranfield University in England, and his doctorate in property at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He also taught entrepreneurship at Clemson University, Colorado State University, and the University of San Diego.
For more information on the Center for Entrepreneurship, contact David Wyman at wymandm@cofc.edu.
