The Bethlehem inventor of a stand for smartphones, e-readers and tablet computers who we reported on in late 2010 recently received an award from an international entrepreneurs' group.
Not bad for a seventh-grader.
Despite the fact that he's only in middle school, Dino Zaharakis was named the high school winner of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards, a competition run by the Virginia-based Entrepreneurs' Organization. He received the honor for his invention, the dzdock, which cradles electronic devices so people can use them hands-free. Zaharakis came up with it about a year ago after his father challenged him to come up with a design and earn his own phone (which he received with unlimited texting).
“A lot of people are impressed with how young I am,” says Zaharakis, who just turned 13. Comments about his age are common, he says, but he doesn't mind when people mention it.
Nearly 10,000 dzdocks have been sold since they first went on the market. A new design supports larger devices, and some corporate clients have ordered custom docks to give away as promotional gifts. Also in development is a foldable dock that would be easier for travelers to handle.
Source: Dino Zaharakis, zlabs
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen