Rob Manes serves on the Edison Universe Board of Directors as Vice President, and is also the Director of Business Development for Edison Universe and Edison Awards. Edison Universe is focused on the roots of accomplishment – promoting the core skills and processes of innovation and fostering a deeper understanding of teamwork and experimentation. Edison Awards, often referred to as the “Oscars of Innovation,” are about the triumphs of today – honoring invention, recognizing creative achievement and celebrating success. Rob previously served on the American Marketing Association’s Edison Awards Board of Directors’ Steering Committee. Rob has remained continually active with the Edison Awards for the past seventeen years.

He graduated from the University of Kansas in 1979 with a B.S. in general studies, at which time he entered the consumer products industry. Rob was specifically sought for his expertise in new product launches, sales and marketing. Companies/brands he represented include H.J. Heinz, Borden, Chef America, Inc./Nestle, Tree Top, Chinet (Huhtamaki), Northern tissue, Brawny, and Dixie.

Rob was born in New York where he spent most of his childhood in Long Island. When Rob was five years old, his father died, leaving three children for Rob’s mother to raise. When he was 13, the family moved to Kansas City, where as a young teen, Rob was responsible for the family’s rental real estate business.

In 1995, Rob drew upon his teenage entrepreneurial roots and started his own brokerage company, Choice Products Group, focusing on authentic Mexican products. In addition, he also developed his own tortilla brand and distributed it throughout the Midwest. In 2007 he sold his firm to a larger brokerage company.

Twenty-seven years ago, Rob joined Big Brothers Big Sisters where he served on the board and began work as a volunteer; that relationship is still flourishing. Rob currently serves on the Business Administration Advisory Board for Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. The institution has the largest undergraduate enrollment of any college in Kansas.

Rob lives in the Kansas City area with his family.