Business students create a potential solution for optimizing insulin use

 

For diabetics, taking the insulin needed for survival poses a major hurdle. Typically, insulin pens must be at room temperature before usage but stay refrigerated when not in use, which can be inconvenient in an emergency. 

Three SUNY New Paltz School of Business students may have found a solution to this dilemma for diabetics.  

Megan Washington ’24 (Finance), Angela Brady ’24 (General Business) and Garret Cortazzo ’23 ’24g (Management) (Business Administration), developed Insulmate, an on-the-go insulin storage product, in Business Lecturer Chris Napolitano’s Entrepreneurship and Business Planning course. Insulmate is powered by a lithium-ion battery, so the insulin stays cool when not in use and elevates to room temperature as needed. 

“If your blood sugar goes up, you don’t have time to wait for the insulin to warm up,” said Washington. “Insulmate makes it safer and easier for diabetics to use what they need to get through the day.”  

Today, their healthcare innovation has taken them to numerous business plan competitions, starting with November’s Business Plan Contest, a “Shark Tank”-like pitch competition on campus that serves as the Entrepreneurship and Business Planning course’s culmination. 

After earning first place, Napolitano advanced them to the Mid-Hudson Regional Business Plan Competition, where the stakes were higher as they competed against other local college business students. Still, they kept their hot streak by earning second place in the Health and Well-Being category. 

“It’s been a rewarding experience to show what we have to offer to local business leaders, and get recognition for all the hard work we’ve put in,” said Brady.  

In addition to these contests, the Insulmate team competed in eFest, a competition hosted by the Schulze Family Foundation at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis where 25 collegiate teams from around the country can earn among cash prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for their startup concepts. During the April contest, they placed third among the medical technology startups competing, winning a $2,500 cash award.

“It was a shot in the dark for us,” said Cortazzo, “but knowing that we made it this far feels validating.” 

The cash prize will help them in their quest to apply for a patent from the Food and Drug Administration, which is a costly process.  

“As college students, we don’t have the capital to launch a product like this, so we need all the support we can get,” said Brady.  

Soon, all three students will be graduating from their respective programs, which will put them in a greater position to launch their product.  

As graduating seniors, Washington and Brady plan to follow in Cortazzo’s footsteps by pursuing a Master’s in Business Administration themselves. Washington was recently accepted into New Paltz’s program. 

“Working on Insulmate helped me gain footing in the business world, and I am looking forward to furthering my acumen,” she said.  

Click here to learn more about SUNY New Paltz’s Master’s in Business Administration.