UGA biomedical engineering doctoral graduate Ashley Galanti saw first-hand the impact that epilepsy had on the lives of her brother and mother.
Her single focus when she entered the University Georgia in 2018 was find a way to make their lives safer and better. Since then, she’s developed The Joey – a wearable sensor named after her brother — that uses sensors to detect volatile organic compounds and alerts patients between 10 and 45 minutes before they have a seizure.
This week, judges at UGA Entrepreneurship Program’s Health and Wellness Pitch Competition recognized the promise of The Joey and Galanti in her time at UGA.
“We think you’ve got something, and we want to encourage you to keep going,” said Dr. Michael Smith (BSA ’79), founder of Marti Health, told Galanti.
Ashley Galanti
Galanti took home $10,000 in prize money, which she will put toward moving her device to FDA approval and the market.
The contest, sponsored by UGA alumnus Joel Katz (BBA ’85) and his wife Kathy, supports business ideas to improve consumer physical or mental health. Each contestant in the pitch contest went through UGA’s Idea Accelerator program to hone their pitches.
Judges included Smith, Joel Katz, an investor based in Austin, Texas; Kathy Katz, an investor and project manager at Alive and Well wellness center in Austin; Valaurie Lee, serial entrepreneur, IT consultant and of founder the spa The Wellness Spot -ATL and health-technology advisor and commercialization coach Greg Jungles.
The mission of the UGA Entrepreneurship Program is to develop the mindset of future entrepreneurs and prepare students for business leadership roles. UGA Entrepreneurship Program accelerators are open to UGA students and the Athens community.
This story was originally published by the Terry College of Business.
