When Fox Valley Technical College alumnus Travis Thul looked at a coffee maker during a 24-hour Coast Guard shift in 2012, he was not trying to launch a company. At that point, he was simply hungry.
Stationed near Washington, D.C., Travis wanted a quick meal, so he headed to the kitchenette with a package of ramen noodles. Not willing to trust the crusty communal microwave and unable to find a pot, he found himself staring at the coffee maker.
That is when a question popped into his head: Could a machine like a Keurig be designed to cook ramen noodles?
That simple question launched a 14-year journey marked by patents, prototypes and plenty of near misses before becoming Ramen Now!, the world’s first patented desktop ramen noodle cooker.
Today, the 2004 Fox Valley Technical College graduate is seeing customers across the United States and Canada purchase the product he first imagined more than a decade ago.
Engineering education pays off
The idea may have come from a bowl of noodles, but the skills behind it started years earlier at Fox Valley Technical College, where Travis earned an associate degree in Electrical Engineering Technology.
“Education played a huge role,” Travis says. “The core tenet of engineering is learning how to identify and solve problems. We’re taught to think outside the box and make do with what’s available.”
He credits both the engineering mindset and technical knowledge he gained through his education with helping transform an idea into a real product.
“Given all of that, I don’t think we would have started Ramen Now, LLC if not for starting down the engineering education pathway,” he says.
Selling an idea
Turning his idea into reality proved far more challenging than imagining it.
Over the years, Travis secured patents, built prototypes and pitched the concept to companies including West Bend, National Presto and Spectrum Brands. Some opportunities looked promising before falling apart.
After years of effort, he began to wonder whether it would ever make it to production.
“Yes, I felt like giving up,” Travis says. “I had accepted that the project would not come to fruition around 2017. I had stopped business development.”
Then, an opportunity came from an unexpected source.
In 2022, Travis shared his story on a nationally syndicated radio program that invited listeners to submit stories about failure. He explained how Ramen Now! repeatedly came close to success only to fall short. The interview introduced his invention to a wider audience, including an angel investor.
“I’m an optimist as a human and an engineer by trade,” Travis says. “Whenever the smallest potential of good news presents itself, I am energized. That said, I also know that there is a long way between ‘maybe’ and getting to market. When the investor came on board, we were ready to roll.”
A dream comes true
In April 2026, Ramen Now! officially launched.
The response exceeded expectations.
“It’s a dream come true,” he says. “I imagine it’s a lot like being a gardener and seeing your plants start to bear fruit. In this case, it was just a decade of waiting and investing.”
Today, the product is sold through the company’s website and Amazon and has attracted attention from influencers and customers across North America.
“I feel proud every day to know that we’ve created something new and are making customers happy,” he says. “It’s rewarding to hear about people using their Ramen Now! to cook their favorite ramen, oatmeal, mac and cheese and other foods.”
More than an invention
These days, Travis balances his entrepreneurial venture with an already busy professional life. He serves as vice president for Student Success and Engagement at Minnesota State University in Mankato, is a Coast Guard Reserve commander and serves on several boards, all while helping grow the company he spent years bringing to life.
Looking back, Travis credits FVTC with helping him develop the problem-solving mindset and engineering skills that ultimately turned an idea into a product finding its way into homes, dorm rooms and offices throughout the United States and Canada.
“I’m super proud of how far we’ve come,” Travis beams. “And I couldn’t have made it without FVTC.”
And it all started with a package of ramen noodles, a coffee maker and a problem that needed solving.
November is National Entrepreneur Month
Observed each November, National Entrepreneurship Month celebrates entrepreneurs and innovators who turn ideas into reality, create jobs and make a lasting impact on their communities.
The FVTC Venture Center supports entrepreneurs and small business owners through training, mentoring and business development resources. Programs such as e-Seed Entrepreneurship Training and Innovation Accelerator for Veterans help participants refine their business ideas and create plans for sustainable growth.
