Hospital bed device advances in business startup contest
Charlene Solomon’s idea for lifting immobile patients on hospital beds won the first regional round of the Stanislaus Innovation Challenge on Thursday night.
The Oakdale nurse topped the voting by expert judges and the audience and will compete in the finals Dec. 10.
Solomon proposes to help nurses and patients avoid injury with her invention, which uses straps to lift patients while their clothing is being changed.
“Normally, a nurse has to use two hands to hold a patient up,” she said in her initial two-minute pitch. “Now, she can do it with no hands.”
The winner in December will get $3,500 and the runner-up will get $1,500 in the contest, which is in its second year. They also will share about $3,000 in legal, accounting, graphics and marketing services.
The organizers chose six entrants to compete in the first round at the Kirk Lindsey Center in Modesto. Along with Solomon, they were:
▪ Jesse Jimenez of Modesto with a stainless steel frame for even spreading of masa into tamales
▪ Manuel Zaragoza of Modesto with robots for use in soil monitoring
▪ Erin Bell of Modesto with pendants that diffuse aromatherapy oils
▪ Raina Porecha of Modesto with a smartphone app that helps people find compatible roommates
▪ Nathan Bunney of Modesto with a texting system people can use to show progress toward goals set by doctors, pastors or others
Each of the six made a two-minute presentation and heard critiques from the judges. Solomon, Porecha and Bunney advanced to the second part, which involved questioning by the judges about their plans for financing, marketing and other needs.
The contest is open to people who live, own businesses or attend college in the county. They can enter any of the regional rounds.
The challenge is sponsored by the Stanislaus Business Alliance, Wells Fargo, The Modesto Bee and the Stanislaus/Merced Angels investment group.
The judges Thursday were Modesto City Councilman Bill Zoslocki; Katy Winders, assistant director of the Alliance Small Business Development Center; and Mysty Rusk, regional assistant director for technology and innovation at the UC Merced Small Business Development Center.
John Holland: 209-578-2385
COMING UP
The Stanislaus Innovation Challenge will have five more regional rounds before the Dec. 10 finals, all from 5:30 to 8 p.m.:
Patterson: Aug. 27, Hammon Senior Center, 1033 W. Las Palmas Ave. Entry deadline is Wednesday.
Riverbank: Sept. 17, Riverbank Teen Center, 3600 Santa Fe Ave. Deadline is Sept. 2.
Ceres: Oct. 8, Ceres Community Center, 2701 Fourth St. Deadline is Sept. 23.
Oakdale: Oct. 29, Gene Bianchi Community Center, 110 S. Second St. Deadline is Oct. 18.
Turlock: Nov. 19, location to be announced. Deadline is Nov. 8.
Applications and more information are at www.alliancesbdc.com or 209-567-4910.
This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 8:51 PM with the headline "Hospital bed device advances in business startup contest."