i3 - March/April 2018 - 6

Women In Tech

A look at some inspiring tech innovators that happen to be women.
Q Why did you start
Allergy Amulet?
A To increase food transparency and
provide those managing food allergies (like myself) greater assurances
that their foods are safe. Dining out
and eating foods prepared by others
presents considerable challenges for
those managing food allergies and
food sensitivities. As someone who
has been hospitalized six times for
my food allergies, I am acutely aware
of the risks. Allergy Amulet grew out
of my experiences living with food
allergies, and the obstacles I had to
overcome when traveling abroad
and dining out.

I N N OVATO R

Abigail Barnes
-Co-Founder and CEO of Allergy Amulet

Combatting
Food Allergies

A

s a lifelong food allergy sufferer, Abigail Barnes cofounded Allergy Amulet in 2012 and serves as CEO.
The Allergy Amulet is a rapid, portable, point-ofconsumption food allergen detection device that connects
to a patent-pending disposable test strip. The device enables
simple, mobile measurements to help individuals avoid ingesting target allergens. It can be worn as a necklace or bracelet,
or integrated into products like a keychain or epinephrine autoinjector. The company, based in Madison, WI, was awarded
a CES booth in Eureka Park as a finalist at CTA's Innovate
Celebrate conference during its startup competition.

6

MARCH/APRIL 2018

i3_0318_06-14_TECH_Innovator_Ad_LGH_layout.indd 6

Q How does your business model
intersect with science and tech?
A Our work on semi-conductive
molecularly imprinted polymers
(MIPs) represents a breakthrough
development in the field of MIPs.
These scientific advancements carry
with them the potential to help millions of individuals managing a food
allergy or intolerance by providing
users additional information about
their food's safety. More than 15
million people in the U.S. have a food
allergy, and over 80 million people
have a food intolerance. To date,
no effective preventative solution is
available for these individuals other
than strict avoidance, which is far
from foolproof. Between 1996 and
2006, restaurants were responsible
for more than half of all food allergy
fatalities. This is a statistic we're trying to change.
Q What lessons have
you learned?
A As a founder, it helps to know
your strengths and weaknesses. I've
learned to play to the former and
build a team that excels in the latter.
Surrounding yourself with the right
people and partners is key, and I've
been fortunate in that regard.

Q How is the Allergy Amulet making a difference in the lives of kids?
A Today, one in 13 kids has a food
allergy, which translates to about
two kids in every classroom.
This represents a huge increase in
food allergies among kids over the
past two decades. Not only do we
hope to help kids avoid inadvertently ingesting harmful foods, but
part of our core mission at Allergy
Amulet is to also help eliminate the
social stigma that can accompany
food allergies through education
and awareness.

Q What was your Eureka Park experience at CES like?
A Showcasing at Eureka Park resulted in some great PR for the com-

pany, including a feature on CNN that listed us as one of the top 17
coolest gadgets of the future. We received a lot of positive feedback
on our product, which was reaffirming. We were humbled by all of
the incredible innovation happening around us and the brilliant and
creative folks we met over the course of the event.

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

4/19/18 8:23 AM


http://www.allergyamulet.com

i3 - March/April 2018

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