As the LaunchPad continues operations in the virtual space, we’re pleased to partner with The Republic of Tea on our new weekly series, Tea Talks. This week’s guests, Adam ’96 and Amy Fazackerley, are joining Wednesday, April 1 at 3 p.m. via Zoom for another conversation by thought leaders on topics related to innovation, entrepreneurship at leadership. The popular series kicked off last week with Todd B. Rubin, President and Minister of Evolution, The Republic of Tea. The Fazackerleys will be talking about surviving and thriving in challenging times, what small businesses can do to stay strong and stay smart, and where to find help, based on their roles on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council where they are national leaders and policy advocates for startups and small businesses. Here is the Zoom link for the virtual chat.
In 2010, Adam and his wife Amy founded Lay-n-Go. The company designs and manufactures innovative organizational solutions for life, play, and travel. They have been awarded two U.S. Utility Patents on their invention, and distribute their products to leading retail companies domestically and internationally. The Fazackerley’s founded Lay-N-Go when Adam kept buying LEGO® sets for their three children, and Amy looked everywhere for something that made cleanup easy, contained the small pieces, could be used on the go, and was machine washable. There was no solution on the market that did all of these things, so they spent the next year designing, testing, re-engineering and producing what would become Lay-n-Go’s first product. The product line now includes: The COSMO, the ultimate cosmetic bag; The WIRED, to easily organize chargers, cords, thumb drives, etc.; The PLAY, to manage large toy collections; and The LITE, a play mat that is perfect for life on the go.
Amy Fazackerley is CEO and Co-Founder of Lay-n-Go, LLC. Amy graduated with a B.A. in Communications from Denison University in 1993 and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University in 2000. Amy has served as a Board of Regents member for Mercersburg Academy (’89) as well as an Advisory Council member of the Friends of the Libraries at Johns Hopkins University (’00). Amy started her career as the Marketing Director for Digital Paper Corporation, a privately held software company. She went on to work for Episcopal High School, as Director of Special Gifts, where she executed strategic multi-million dollar fundraising programs to build the Ainslie Arts Center and Baker Science Center. As a women-owned business, Amy has been featured on national TV shows like MSNBC’s Your Business, Fox and Friends, and Good Morning America. She is also a qualified guest host for QVC.
Adam Fazackerley ’96 (Whitman) is the COO and Co-Founder of Lay-n-Go, LLC. Fazackerley started his career at UUNET Technologies after graduating from Syracuse University in 1996. He went on to found concept2creations in 1999, a firm focused on designing and developing corporate brands, digital assets, and printed media. Fazackerley is a General Partner and Co-Founder at Fortify.vc, enjoys mentoring Syracuse University founders. He also plays guitar and sings in two bands, kiteboards and skis, and coaches youth lacrosse.
Amy and Adam both serve on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council. They live in Alexandria, VA with their three sons, Andrew, Miles, and Caden. They have been ahead of the curve, working from home while building a global business and managing remote teams that include design, manufacturing and logistics.
They are also members of the SU Libraries Advisory Council. “Our connection to Syracuse University Libraries is completely driven by their current dedication to student entrepreneurs and their overall vision for the future,” said Adam. The Fazackerley’s are active LaunchPad mentors and work closely with VPA School of Design students Alec Gillinder and Quinn King to help bring MedUX, their portable IV solution, to market. They have worked with Kelsey Davis, founder of CLLCTVE, including introducing her to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where they are both on the Small Business Council. They are also currently working with Matt Shumer, founder of VISOS and winner of the recent campus ACC InVenture Prize, on strategies to sell his product into military markets. The Fazackerley’s also employ Syracuse University students, including Blackstone Global Media Fellow Audrey Lewis as interns at Lay-n-Go, and are working with Blackstone Global Media Fellows Victoria Lawson and Will DeVito on marketing research projects.
Co-moderating the Tea Talk will be Alec Gillinder, Quinn King and Audrey Miller.
