Richard Looft | Source | Inventor, CEO and Founder at Looft

Richard is the founder, and CEO of Looft, and the inventor of the Looft Lighter I (the world's first fuel-free firelighter) and the Looft Lighter X (the world's first cordless fuel-free firelighter). He is a foodie, a grilling enthusiast, and like all Swedes, knows that it's never too cold for a picnic. The idea for the Looft Lighter came following a grilling disaster at his daughters 9th birthday party, when the chicken came out tasting like the lighter fluid he had used. Knowing that lighting fuel required two key elements – heat and oxygen – Richard got experimental. Without a thought for his own safety, he poured charcoal into his bread toaster and turned the air flow around with his old vacuum cleaner – and voila, sparks flew in seconds. He had discovered the fastest and cleanest way to light charcoal. Before founding Looft, Richard was a director of theatre, film, television and opera for 25 years, worked for a decade as assistant director to Ingmar Bergman, and even won a Grammy for directing a music video in his native Sweden.