About Us

Our founder and CEO, Brian Semling, champions entrepreneurial innovation at his family-owned and operated business in Wisconsin with a team of about 15 associates at his core business Blitz Innovation (blitzinnovation.com) that owns and operates Brian’s Toys and Clever Brands (Clever Creations, Clever Garden, and Clever Chef), along with Rovux (rovuxfootwear.com) and Blitz IRE (Industrial Real Estate).

He is a tenacious trailblazer who brings an energetic passion and optimism to all he does. Brian loves learning, innovating, problem-solving, and building brands and businesses! With initial sales on Amazon in 2005, Brian’s businesses have generated over $80MM in lifetime sales.  He has built various brands and businesses from Brian’s Toys, his collectible toy business, to Amazon First brands Strictly Briks, Clever Creations, Clever Chef, and more. 

Brian grew up in Fountain City, Wisconsin, which is a small town tucked into the beautiful bluffs of the Mississippi River with his younger brother Joe and parents Norm and Betsy Semling. He loved math as a student and cross-country running in high school, with his team winning state championships in his junior and senior years. He graduated as valedictorian from Cochrane-Fountain City High School in 1995. He then enrolled at his dream school, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), his goal since 6th grade.

Little did he know that the business he had started as an extension of a hobby in 1994 would lead him to leave MIT early during his sophomore year. From there, he returned home to focus on running his business full-time and transferred to Winona State University where he graduated with a history degree in 2000. 

During the summer of 1998, he met his wonderful wife Carina while attending a speech class at Winona State University. They married in the summer of 2000 and have two amazing children, Sonja and Erik, who were born in 2007 and 2010. The kids love running, Star Wars, and the Green Bay Packers, just like their father! Brian is active in his local community and serves as a board member of Winona Health. He is also active in his local Radiant Church of Winona, MN, and puts God first in his life. He and his family are very thankful for the blessings that God has provided them. 

1 Peter 4:10 As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.