TEAM

The President of the Big Idea Factory, Linda El-Fakir, has a 25-year track record creating successful new products and growing established brands and businesses. Linda is also a highly experienced product designer, developer and inventor in her own right, with numerous patents. She’s spent extensive time in Asia, and specializes in working with clients and factories on new product design for efficient and cost-effective manufacturing, production gear-up, and in solving design and manufacturing problems.

Linda started her career in traditional consumer packaged goods with L&F Products Division of Eastman Kodak, where she helped launch the first line of cleaning wipes, and worked on flagship brand Lysol Disinfectant Spray. At Colgate-Palmolive, she managed the Ajax line of cleaners, Palmolive Automatic Dish Detergent, and then worked in New Products and Technology Transfer. Linda launched her first entrepreneurial venture, Elf Children’s Products, in 1993. The company’s initial product, Castle Blocks, won 2nd place in the 1994 Family Fun Toy of the Year contest. After selling that business, Linda held the positions of Vice President of Marketing with Pentech International and Rose Art, and then Vice President & Division Manager, Stationery and Activities with FAB/Starpoint, a leader in children’s licensed goods. Linda holds a Bachelor’s degree in Product Design and an MBA, both from Cornell University.