When Steven Stotts was growing up in West Oak Lane, he loved watching the sitcom “Family Matters.” His favorite character was Steve Urkel, the socially awkward nerd known for the unreliable gadgets he invents throughout the series.
“I got excited about his innovations, even though a lot of them didn’t necessarily work out,” Stotts says. “His confidence inspired me.”
Using Urkel’s knack for inventing as inspiration, Stotts often entered his middle school’s invention fairs and took home first place trophies. The only problem? He …
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When Steven Stotts was growing up in West Oak Lane, he loved watching the sitcom “Family Matters.” His favorite character was Steve Urkel, the socially awkward nerd known for the unreliable gadgets he invents throughout the series.
“I got excited about his innovations, even though a lot of them didn’t necessarily work out,” Stotts says. “His confidence inspired me.”
Using Urkel’s knack for inventing as inspiration, Stotts often entered his middle school’s invention fairs and took home first place trophies. The only problem? He was too young to know how to patent his ideas.
Now, Stotts – an inventor who goes by Steve the Legacy – has come up with his own brand. Not only does he work on his latest creations, he also gives motivational speeches and writes self-help books. Plus, Stotts teaches entrepreneurs how to patent and trademark their ideas.
Innovative inventions
Tabletop games are one of his favorites. His first game, Dictionary Daddy, came out in 2021 and was inspired by his daughter asking him the definitions of words. Stotts says that playing board games with his daughter during the pandemic also sparked the idea for his latest game, TOP 5. The probability-based dice game was specifically designed for all ages.
“The great thing I love about this game is that it unites families and different generations together,” Stotts says. “Not just five-year-olds, but 95-year-olds…if you can count to 20, you can play.”
In an age of smartphones and tablets, Stotts is currently working on getting the word out about TOP 5 by promoting its simplistic approach to family fun. On March 31, he held a TOP 5 tournament at Lovett Memorial Library in Mt. Airy, inviting community members to hear instructions straight from the inventor and try out the game.
Stotts also created nanobot assembly kits and has been attending different libraries and community centers around the city to teach kids how to build and race these robot cars. He believes these kits have the potential to be franchised – and he’s willing to test his belief in front of the experts. On April 11, Stotts will be pitching to the casting producers of “Shark Tank” at Rivers Philadelphia, aiming to win a chance to pitch to the Sharks on their ABC TV show and land an invaluable investment. This is an opportunity a decade in the making for Stotts, who has waited until he has the confidence and preparedness to take the leap.
“My presentation is ready to go,” Stotts says. “I have mastered a system. I have mastered a product. Now I want to go to a brand.”
Stotts says he is also working on an animated short movie to go along with the nanobot building class. The animator? Stotts, of course.
A growth mindset
If the inventions weren’t enough, Stotts is also an author. His first book, “Act & Grow Belief” encourages others to cultivate their self-belief through action. This book is a response to Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich,” a popular self-help book that emphasizes positive thoughts and beliefs.
“To be able to think and grow rich, your thought process has to be ready for the opportunity. A lot of times our mindsets are so poor and so challenged that the thinking process is going to do more damage than good,” Stotts says. “I think action starts the movement process of what you can do in life.”
Stotts’ second book, “Feeding the Mind,” warns readers to watch the information they take in – so it doesn’t “contaminate our dreams and goals.”
As a motivational speaker, Stotts focuses on many of the same themes as he does in his books.
“My whole message consists of a lot of storytelling and humorous stories, but it always comes back home to the concept that everything that people are looking for, they already have – they just have to activate it,” Stotts says.
In 2022, he gave a TEDx Talk on unlocking the inner genius of children. Stotts says that while everything is evolving around us, the education system is outdated. Now, three years later, Stotts finds it serendipitous that he is using his nanobot building classes to connect with children in the community. Eventually, he aims to bring the programs to schools as well, encouraging kids that their youth is not a limiting factor.
“It’s not about your age or your background,” Stotts says. “It’s about your will, your desire, and your imagination.”
Learn more about Steve the Legacy at stevethelegacy.com.
