Two years ago today I was having my bi-weekly brunch with my mother. While sipping down silver-needle white tea {yep, I am a huge tea fan if you don’t know}, we started to talk about ideas, life and health. One thing that was brought up was how people around us (i.e. friends, family) keep getting sick, despite eating super healthy and adapting to a pretty healthy life style.
Later that evening, I visited my neighbors, who’s children I often babysat growing up. The mother mentioned that her kids (11 and 14) had trouble putting the phone away at night and sometimes she wondered the effect it was having on their (and other children’s) health? She even mentioned that her daughters friends sleep with darn device (turns out this isn’t that uncommon).
It then dawned on me that what if all of our phone usage is effecting us biologically (aka our health)? Especially since new statistics show the average individual spends 2.7 hours on their phone every day (i.e. talking, texting, watching youtube videos, sending emails).
Having a Masters of Biological Engineering (focusing on biomaterials), I immediately went to town researching all the scientific literature I could find and on how cell phone’s electromagnetic radiation was effecting us biologically and materials that could prevent this. What I found from renowned institutions around the world was SHOCKING to say the least (hence look at the picture below!); especially the health implications electromagnetic radiation from cell phones was having on children…and yet it seemed as though no one knew about it?! Most importantly, this data WAS reproducible and being shared on international conference stages around the world.
Suddenly it hit me like a ton of bricks: I needed to invent a product that could enable kids and adults to still use their cell phones but also be protected from radio waves constantly being emitted from their phones. At the same time, I knew I wanted to raise awareness for this issue and inspire people to invent and make a change when they fit.
After a day of research it seemed as though everywhere I went, I was being swarmed by children using wireless devices. At the bank a lady gave her 2 year old a cell phone for 20 minutes while she was waiting in line, then while reading a magazine I saw an ad for Fisher Price’s new “captivity seat.” It definitely gave me an extra push to move things along.
And so I got to work. I locked myself in my room like a hermit and started sketching, prototyping and doing more researching on the effects electromagnetic radio waves have on our health. My business partner and I had a rough idea of what we wanted our product to look like, and even thought adults would want it too. Now all we needed was to find a special material that will block these radio waves when in contact with our bodies, optimize the overall look, find a manufacturer and go to town…easier said than done. In the end the goal is to create a case for your phone that protects YOU just as much as your phone.
Staying true to this spirit, I’ve created this blog as a way to share my journey with all of you and enlist your help. I’m putting the hermit to rest in favor of acting like a true entrepreneur, someone who reaches for the stars and isn’t afraid to ask for directions. Each week, my business partner and I {my fabulous mother} will post about the progress of Kangaberry – our successes, failures, questions, roadblocks, ideas. I welcome you to follow along. We are an open book, and you are invited to contribute to this story. Ok, time to change the world.