Poka Snack: a U-M professor's frozen banana skewer hits Kickstarter
ANN ARBOR. Dr. Richard Brown, a retired University of Michigan radiology professor in his early 70s, has launched his first consumer product: Poka Snack, a reusable plastic skewer that twists into a banana before it goes in the freezer. The patent-pending design followed nearly 40 prototypes since the idea came to him a year ago.
Brown's Kickstarter campaign launched in early August and hit 75% of its goal within a week. He's built the pitch largely on TikTok, where his account, @pokasnack5, has drawn more than 14,000 followers and videos with over 100,000 views apiece.
"The secret is to stay curious," Brown says. Poka Snack is headed to retail shelves once the Kickstarter run wraps up.
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