Inventors are passionate about making their mark in the world—by making life better for everyone. This statement accurately describes Joe and Mollie Herzberger, who founded Wicked Wakesurf Designs LLC (WWD) several years ago. The Georgia-based company sells the Wicked Wakesurf, an aftermarket back-of-boat paddle that was developed to create perfectly formed waves for wakesurfers (those who trail behind a boat without being directly pulled by it).

However, because each boat has a different transom profile to which the paddle is secured, its initial HDPE-plastic-only design prevented the paddle from always creating the perfect wave. To overcome this problem, the couple recently redesigned the paddle with the help of PartWorks LLC, a rapid digital manufacturer of low-volume metal, plastic and wood parts.