Retired radiologist Richard Brown launches Poka Snack and passes 14,000 TikTok followers

Richard Brown retired as a radiologist, but now runs a business centred on banana skewers. At 71, following more than 40 years in nuclear medicine and university teaching, he launched his first consumer product, Poka Snack, whose official TikTok account has surpassed 14,000 followers.

Rather than seeing retirement as a time to rest, Brown viewed it as the start of a new entrepreneurial project. The idea came from an everyday problem: the inconvenience and risks of using standard wooden toothpicks to prepare frozen bananas.

He then designed a reusable utensil with a patented semi-spiral geometry that screws easily into the fruit, aiming to provide a hygienic and practical solution. Brown said he did not want to retire: “Why do it? You’ve spent all this time learning something, and in some ways things become easier with age because you become a little wiser.”

When it came to possible criticism of his invention, the former professor stood by his approach. “I think the problem with most people is that they are afraid of looking foolish,” he said. His advice is straightforward: “If you think something should be done, just do it. Don’t worry about what other people think, because you could be wrong, but you could also be right. And if you are right, do you really want to miss that opportunity?”

To develop Poka Snack without increasing spending, Brown used artificial intelligence tools at every stage, from technical design and the business plan to brand identity and marketing. After testing around 40 prototypes, he obtained a product ready for large-scale manufacturing in the United States.

To fund production while limiting financial risk, he launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter with an initial target of $4,000. The campaign quickly exceeded 90% of that target.

Brown also adapted to social media by tailoring his message to short 10-second videos. Poka Snack’s official TikTok account now has more than 14,000 followers, indicating public interest before the product reaches stores. His path highlights the combination of curiosity, a desire to start a business and the use of new technologies, without age being an obstacle.