{"653243":{"#nid":"653243","#data":{"type":"news","title":"2021 InVenture Prize Finalists: Where Are They Now? SPOT Harness is Fostering New Tech for Handicapped Pets","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBy Frida Carrera\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter almost a year since the completion of the 2021 InVenture Prize Competition, we caught up with Matt McMullen and Emma Bivings who competed as finalists on the SPOT Harness team, a harness that uses sensors and vibrators to help blind dogs navigate. Their experience in the competition exposed them to multiple experiences, environments, and demands necessary for startups for the first time. As a result, they were able to distinguish their areas of growth, gain valuable insights, and make potential changes in the direction of their product.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EToday, Matt is currently a graduate student seeking a master\u0026rsquo;s in music technology and Emma is a full-time operations management trainee at McMaster-Carr. The team is still developing the SPOT Harness and has even grown its team to five members. Through funding and participating in Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s CREATE-X Startup Launch program, they have been able to launch their company Saving Grace Pet Solutions LLC. They plan to launch SPOT Harness under this company as well as develop other future products.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo future InVenture participants, Matt advises, \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t give up on your idea! The most important part of making it the distance is having a team with a passion for your product.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe SPOT Harness team will be launching a kick-starter soon for preorders ahead of the official market launch of the SPOT Harness for blind dogs. They also advise anyone who has or knows someone who has a dog suffering from vision loss to visit their website to sign up for their newly refined prototype!\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EVisit their website here: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.savinggrace.tech\u0022\u003Ewww.savinggrace.tech\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the upcoming\u0026nbsp;InVenture\u0026nbsp;Prize Competition visit\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E . Registration closes on Jan. 19.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"InVenture Prize Finalist SPOT Harness is Fostering New Tech for Handicapped Pets"}],"uid":"36028","created_gmt":"2021-11-30 15:23:29","changed_gmt":"2021-12-02 16:48:31","author":"fcarrera3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-11-30T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"653242":{"id":"653242","type":"image","title":"ImageforSPOTharness","body":null,"created":"1638285684","gmt_created":"2021-11-30 15:21:24","changed":"1638285684","gmt_changed":"2021-11-30 15:21:24","alt":"","file":{"fid":"247770","name":"SPOTharness.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SPOTharness.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/SPOTharness.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":7546,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/SPOTharness.jpg?itok=sT9HJ1oc"}}},"media_ids":["653242"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/inventureprize.gatech.edu\/","title":"InVenture Prize"},{"url":"https:\/\/innovation.gatech.edu","title":"Student Innovation Programs"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.savinggrace.tech","title":"Saving Grace"}],"groups":[{"id":"605793","name":"Innovation (news)"},{"id":"98291","name":" Experiential \u0026 Engaged Learning"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"42931","name":"Performances"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1069","name":"Inventure"},{"id":"189426","name":"SPOT Harness"},{"id":"8261","name":"finalist"},{"id":"189427","name":"emma bivings"},{"id":"189428","name":"matt mcmullen"},{"id":"189429","name":"saving grace"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"39471","name":"Materials"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["inventureprize@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}