A certified nursing assistant and University of Iowa undergraduate student majoring in speech and hearing sciences recently took top prize at the UI John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) Undergraduate Startup Incubator Spring Final Pitch Competition.
Lily Hintz and her company Health Harmony placed first and earned $2,500 at the May 3 event, which took place at Iowa Theater in the Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City.
Health Harmony’s software alerts nursing staff to changes in biomarkers in late-stage Alzheimer’s patients to prevent aggressive behaviors before they happen.
“My journey includes immersive research with the Clinical Linguistics & Disparities Lab, where I spearheaded initiatives to enhance research efficiency,” Ms. Hintz wrote on her LinkedIn page, where she also mentions her work as a CNA in dementia care at a retirement residence.
“My professional mission is to specialize in healthcare innovation,” her LinkedIn page said.
Second place and $1,000 went to the team of James Altschul, Will Schwartz, Sam Perona, and Kat Trout-Baron of Heartland Pictures. Heartland Pictures is a business that creates feature films by and for Midwestern movie-goers.
Winning third place and $750 was Jacob Vander Sanden and his company, Cedar Sales. Cedar Sales helps bridge the gap between retail and online sales through Amazon.
There were three $250 honorable mention winners: Craig Bantz and his company, ModelMint, Keegan Fogarty and his company, Solace Biotech, and Colin Speikers, Josh Cohen, and Brady Stein with OneBuzz Network.
