Developing a therapeutic glove to help people suffering from arthritis catapulted three high school students from Lake County into first place in the Innovate WithIN™ 2020 State Finals pitching competition.
Megan Jones, Joshua Breitsprecher, and Abigale Haluska on the AM Therapeutics team took top honors for their “Remedy Glove” product. Designed for people with arthritis, “The Remedy Glove” is a therapeutic device with vibration, compression, and heating features. The three students from Hobart High School recognized the product need after witnessing several friends and family restricting their daily activities due to arthritic pain.
The team advanced through two pitching competitions to reach the online finals and presented against student finalists from across the state in front of a panel of entrepreneur judges. As first place winners, each team member earned a $10,000 cash prize, up to $10,000 of in-state tuition, internship opportunities, and mentoring services.
“The teams knocked it out of the park for Innovate WithIN™’s state finals,” Candy Dodd, project manager of the competition and director of special initiatives and divisional planning at Ball State, said. “Their professionalism, business ideas, charisma, and passion exceeded my expectations. The State of Indiana should be proud of the students representing every region and corner within our borders.”
Other winners of the Innovate WithIN™ pitching competition include:
- Second place: Trifecta Sports Solutions — William Hall and Gerald Fuller of Hobart High School
- Third place (tie): ConnectU — Amanda Packard, Nicholas Williamson, and Brynna Eaton of Noblesville High School
- Third place (tie): O2GO — GiGi Dreyer, Alexa Miles, and Kathryn Wilder of Oldenburg Academy
- People’s Choice: AQuapon LLC — Christian Michael Claycamp of Seymour Senior High School
- Ball State University, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Department of Education, and STARTedUP Foundation co-sponsored the event.
“As a state, we’re focused on giving Hoosier students the tools and resources they need to develop and execute their entrepreneurial ideas – whether at home or in the classroom,” said David Roberts, chief innovation officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. “We're proud of all the students who participated in this year’s competition, and we’re grateful for the flexibility of our state finalists who refined their pitches and honed their critical thinking skills in order to virtually present to the judges.”