Watch the Replay:
Join us for an informal, chat-style discussion between the 2021 Innovation Challenge Winner, Pierluigi Mantovani of Evolution Devices, Honorable Mentions, Lucy Jones of FFORA and Tish Scholnik of GRIT, and Judges, Dr. Stephen Squinto of OrbiMed and Patient Ambassador Teresa Wright Johnson, moderated by Lyfebulb CEO Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD.
If you are interested in hearing first-hand how individuals in the MS community have taken the burden of living with chronic disease, and turned it into a strength to help others, then don’t miss this Fireside Chat. The conversation will spotlight patient entrepreneurship and how patients, working together with industry, is key for the future.
This event, part of our fireside chat series, will spotlight innovative solutions and adaptations, developed by patient entrepreneurs, in order to reduce the burden of MS. We will be sure to discuss today’s MS research landscape as well as what looks most promising for patients.
The conversation will take place at 4pm EST on March 16, 2021.
The Panelists
Lucy Jones
Founder and CEO at FFORA
Tish Scolnik
Co-Founder and CEO at GRIT
Stephen Squinto, PhD
Venture Partner at Orbimed, Co-Founder at Alexion, and Co-Founder & Chairman at Lyfebulb
Teresa Wright Johnson
MS Patient Ambassador
Evolution Devices has been awarded the $25,000 Innovation Award for its smart stimulation therapy to improve the mobility of multiple sclerosis patients
NEW YORK, March 11, 2021 – Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation, is excited to announce that Pierluigi Mantovani of Evolution Devices was chosen as the winner of the “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge”.
Evolution Devices will receive $25,000 from Lyfebulb to further develop its innovative, functional electrical stimulation device that couples artificial intelligence and proprietary software to rehabilitate foot drop in multiple sclerosis patients. Pierluigi was motivated to start his company out of his personal observations of seeing his own father struggle with foot drop living with MS.
Additionally, FFORA and GRIT each received honorable mentions for their impactful innovations that have the potential to greatly increase the quality of life for individuals living with MS. FFORA, founded by Lucy Jones, offers a suite of lifestyle branded, wheelchair-attachable products specifically made for the disability community. GRIT, co-founded by Tish Scolnik, offers adaptive, all-terrain wheelchairs allowing people with physical limitations the freedom to engage in outdoor activities.
The 2021 MS Innovation Challenge took place virtually over two days on March 10-11, 2021, and was open to entrepreneurs motivated by a personal connection to the disease developing products and solutions for the MS community. Ten finalists were selected to pitch their company’s solution to a panel of independent judges from across industries, including MS experts, healthcare, and the business world. Selected solutions from finalists spanned mobility assistance and wearable devices, transportation accessibility services, exercise and strength training programs, functional accessories, and social enterprises fostering inclusion.
To continue partnership efforts to collectively raise awareness of MS and spotlight innovation, Lyfebulb will be hosting a virtual speaker session with Pierluigi, Lucy and Tish and select judges on March 16, 2021. The speaker session is open to all members of the community, and more information may be found on Lyfebulb.com.
“The degree of impact of the solutions presented by applicants at this year’s challenge was extremely high and we would like to congratulate all those working to improve the lives of those affected by MS,” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, Founder and CEO of Lyfebulb. “We thank the judges for making this difficult decision in selecting the winner, and hope all entrepreneurs are inspired by the collaborative sessions in this Innovation Challenge to continue on their quest to bring forth solutions to ease the burden of living with chronic disease.”
About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry to support user-driven innovation. With its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, mental health, substance use disorder, migraine, transplantation, psoriasis, chronic cough and chronic kidney disease. See Lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable and often disabling disease that affects nearly one million people in the United States.[i] MS is a disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves. The myelin damage disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.[ii] Ultimately, the nerves themselves may deteriorate — a process that’s currently irreversible.[iii]
For more information:
Lyfebulb Contact:
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb
Phone: + 1 917-575-0210
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com
[i] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS Symptoms. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms. Accessed September 24, 2020.
[ii] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. What is Myelin? www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Definition-of-MS/Myelin. Accessed July 07, 2020.
[iii] AJMC. The Pathologic Foundations of Multiple Sclerosis: Current Considerations. https://www.ajmc.com/view/the-pathologic-foundations-of-multiple-sclerosis-current-considerations. Accessed September 24, 2020.
Ten patient entrepreneurs have been shortlisted as finalists in the Lyfebulb “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge” which has an award of $25,000
NEW YORK – (February 9, 2021) – Lyfebulb, a patient-empowerment platform that connects patients with industry to support user-driven innovation, announce ten finalists chosen for the Lyfebulb “Addressing Unmet Needs in MS: An Innovation Challenge”.
For two days in March (10th-11th), the following finalists will compete virtually for a grant of $25,000 to further develop their ideas and concepts that will address the unmet needs of people who are suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). This award will also assist in raising an overall awareness about this chronic disease.
- Angie Conley, Founder and CEO of Abilitech Medical
- Jason DaSilva, Founder and President of AXS Lab
- Luanne Dibernardo, Founder and CEO of Oro Sports
- Peter Grande, Co-Founder of MUVE
- David Hojah, CEO of Parrots
- Lucy Jones, Founder and CEO of FFORA
- David Lyons, Founder and Director of MS Fitness Challenge
- Pierluigi Mantovani, CEO of Evolution Devices
- Tish Scolnik, Co-Founder and CEO of GRIT
- Brooke Slick, Founder and Product Developer of Dashco
“Patients are innovators and problem-solvers.” said Dr. Karin Hehenberger, CEO and Founder of Lyfebulb. “Each of these finalists is an attestation to the power of patient entrepreneurship as they have taken their hardships of living with disease – or observing it in a loved one – and have turned those insights into business solutions to help other members of the MS community. We are excited to bring together these inspirational leaders with our expert panel of judges and members of the Lyfebulb team for an engaging and interactive two-day summit.”
As a Patient Entrepreneur, each and every one of the finalists has been personally affected by Multiple Sclerosis as either a patient, a support partner, or by having had a loved one diagnosed with the disease. During the virtual Innovation Challenge in March, each finalist will be given the opportunity to pitch their solution to a diverse cross section of professionals from across the MS, healthcare and business worlds. The panel judges will include:
- Tim Coetzee, PhD, Chief Advocacy, Services and Research Officer at National Multiple Sclerosis Society
- Kate Cronin, Global CEO of Ogilvy Health
- Teresa Wright Johnson, MS Patient Ambassador at Lyfebulb and Inspirational Speaker
- Darin T. Okuda, MD, MS, FAAN, FANA, Director of the Neuroinnovation Program and Director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Imaging Program at UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Stephen Squinto, PhD, Executive Partner at OrbiMed and Co-Founder of Alexion
For further information about the “2021 MS Innovation Challenge”, visit Lyfebulb.com.
About Lyfebulb
Lyfebulb is a chronic disease-focused, patient empowerment platform that connects patients and industry to support user-driven innovation. With its strong foundation in diabetes, the company has expanded disease states covered into cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, mental health, substance use disorder, migraine, transplantation, psoriasis, chronic cough and chronic kidney disease. See Lyfebulb.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Karin Hehenberger LinkedIn, and Lyfebulb LinkedIn.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable and often disabling disease that affects nearly one million people in the United States.[i] MS is a disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves. The myelin damage disrupts communication between the brain and the rest of the body.[ii] Ultimately, the nerves themselves may deteriorate — a process that’s currently irreversible.[iii]
For more information:
Lyfebulb Contact:
Karin Hehenberger, MD, PhD
CEO & Founder, Lyfebulb
Phone: + 1 917-575-0210
Email: karin@lyfebulb.com
[i] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. MS Symptoms. https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Symptoms-Diagnosis/MS-Symptoms. Accessed September 24, 2020.
[ii] National Multiple Sclerosis Society. What is Myelin? www.nationalmssociety.org/What-is-MS/Definition-of-MS/Myelin. Accessed July 07, 2020.
[iii] AJMC. The Pathologic Foundations of Multiple Sclerosis: Current Considerations. https://www.ajmc.com/view/the-pathologic-foundations-of-multiple-sclerosis-current-considerations. Accessed September 24, 2020.
Pierluigi Mantovani is the co-founder and CEO of Evolution Devices, where they are helping people with Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological diseases rehabilitate their walking with a remote physical therapy program enabled by a smart nerve stimulation wearable device. Specifically, Evolution Devices is helping people with foot drop pick up their foot to trip and fall less, and walk with more confidence. Pierluigi is a healthcare entrepreneur and former Neuroscience researcher at UCSF. Pierluigi received his BA in Cognitive Science from UC Berkeley. He was inspired to build Evolution Devices initially to help his father, who struggles with Multiple Sclerosis. Pierluigi and The Evolution Devices team has been featured in multiple media outlets, and has been recognized by the NIH, NSF, and the Toyota Mobility Foundation for their innovations.
Peter is committed to improving the quality of life for people of all abilities and creating a barrier free, inclusive future for all to enjoy. This commitment led him to become the co-founder of MV-1 Canada, where he built and managed Canada’s largest national sales and warranty/service network, providing factory-built wheelchair accessible vehicles and warranty service to governments, fleets and families across Canada. Peter recognized that more could be done, so he put his experience and relationships to work and became the Co-Founder of MUVE, a ride hail/dispatching software platform specially designed to create and manage inclusive and sustainable transit systems of the future. Peter is thrilled to be part of such a robust and caring community-based company that recognizes the importance of sustainable and responsive public transit that is in tune with the needs of the entire community, regardless of their age, race, religion and ability. Peter’s goal is to go to work every day and know that his efforts are helping to affect positive change and lasting impact in the lives of those who need it most.
Lucy Jones is the founder and CEO of FFORA, a fashion lifestyle brand that primarily caters to people with disabilities. She believes in a world made accessible to all. Previously, she worked at Eileen Fisher as a “Social Innovator” sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). Welsh native Jones studied Fashion Design at Parsons School of Fashion in New York. As a student, Jones received several accolades including the prestigious Royal Society of the Arts prize for “Design Innovation”. Upon graduation in 2015, Jones was awarded Parsons Womenswear Designer of the Year, Kering “Empowering Imagination” Award, and shortly after named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the “Arts & Style” category. In 2016 Jones was invited to The White House to attend a “Design for All” conference. In addition, she has been recognized by the CFDA, winning the inaugural grand prize of the Elaine Gold Launch Pad in 2018, and also exhibited work in the Museum of Arts and Design (MAD), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and currently has work on display at the “Design for Different Futures Exhibit”, a two-year exhibition. Jones’ work has been featured in numerous publications such as The New York Times, Vogue.com, Business of Fashion, BBC, CFDA, NPR, Forbes, Fast Company, Seventeen Magazine, WWD, Id Vice, Independence Care Systems, AOL online, ITV Wales, Vogue, The Impression, Plan de Ville, Fashionista amongst others. Most recently, Jones starred in a global Microsoft campaign, highlighting the work and community of FFORA.
Oro Sports co-founder, Luanne DiBernardo, started her cooling journey in 2008 with her brother Van DiBernardo, a former DKNY designer challenged by the side effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Her company, then called Coolture, was founded to develop the first “lifestyle” cooling vest for people with heat intolerance due to chronic conditions.
Luanne officially launched Coolture in 2010, started manufacturing and selling in 2013, then reorganized as Oro Sports LLC in January 2020. She partnered with Tom Burns, CEO of the cut-and-sew facility that stitched every Coolture cooling garment since its start. Luanne is responsible for product development, brand management, and marketing. The dynamics of this partnership puts design, manufacturing, and customer service under one roof. This advantage finds Oro Sports ahead of the curve in product development, quality control, and private label/product partner opportunities.
In September of 2019, Luanne partnered with the University at Buffalo to develop an improved cooling technology with Dr. Shenqiang Ren, PhD Professor and Chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University at Buffalo. A Jeff Lawrence Manufacturing Grant facilitated the development of a unique cooling technology that remains flexible when frozen to temperatures colder than ice. Oro Sports will have the exclusive license for this new technology.
Previous to founding Coolture, Luanne lived in Sarasota, Florida, where she worked in advertising at Chris Craft Industries and Donzi Marine Corporation, the iconic boat manufacturers. She later founded her own agency, which she operated for five years. After receiving a $250,000 grant for her first screenplay, Luanne closed her agency and went into production with her first feature-length film, “Blowfish”. The film earned Luanne three screenwriting awards (Austin Film Festival, Flagstaff International Film Festival, and Orlando International Film Festival), in addition to a residency at The Seaside Institute.