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Quirky: The Solution to the Innovator's Dilemma At the age of 24, Ben Kaufman already has a successful startup track record. With Quirky, he's tapped into the power of open innovation and created a place where anyone can become an inventor.

By Jennifer Wang

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ben Kaufman was on the subway in New York City in 2005 when he had his light-bulb moment. He saw a girl--a stranger--sporting a pair of headphones he designed at mophie, the iPod accessories company he founded the day he graduated from high school.

"I saw something I invented out in the world, and it was the best feeling," Kaufman says. "That's when I realized I needed to help more people experience that."

Four years later, Kaufman launched Quirky, an online consumer products company with a social development twist: products for the people, created and designed by the people.