SHEBOYGAN, Wis — Entrepreneurs from across Wisconsin gathered in Sheboygan to pitch their business ideas at the Startup World Cup regional competition, including two founders developing solutions to health-related challenges.
Dr. Grace Hameister, founder of Food FixR from Elkhart Lake, created an app designed to help people better understand the potential health risks of ingredients in their food. Jesse Barry, founder of Coldspell Cooling from Madison, developed a cooling garment intended to help protect workers from heat-related illnesses.
Hameister said her 27 years as a doctor helped her recognize that many people do not fully understand how food can affect their health.
“The science is hard, and when you’re bombarded with this information, you don’t know where to start,” said Hameister.
Her app, Food Fixr, allows users to scan ingredients on food labels to learn more about potential health risks. The app catalogs edible ingredients recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and classifies them based on their potential risks.
“Depending on how many of those things are on the label, that’s what will mathematically give you the yay safe, or the middle, or the danger,” said Hameister.
Another competitor, Barry, developed a cooling garment after witnessing the consequences of heat-related illnesses while working as a nurse at UW-Madison Hospital.
“There’s lots of studies that say that injury rates and accidents go up when the temperature go up,” said Barry.
His product, called the Coldspell Cooling Garment, is designed to cover the neck, upper body and a significant portion of the wearer’s body surface. Users fill the garment with water before putting it on. Barry hopes the garment can help protect outdoor workers, including those in construction and paving, as well as indoor workers without access to air conditioning.
Food Fixr and Coldspell Cooling were among eight startups competing in the Sheboygan regional event. The winning team will advance to the national Startup World Cup event in San Francisco, where competitors will have the opportunity to vie for up to $1 million in investment funding.
