10 to Watch 2013

Hannah Chung/Aaron Horowitz

Chief Creative Officer/Chief Executive Officer & Co-founders, Sproutel

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What they do:
Make toys and interactive learning games for children diagnosed with chronic illnesses. Their first product is Jerry the Bear, a teddy bear with Type 1 diabetes. “When a kid is diagnosed with diabetes, the education doesn’t go directly to them – it goes to the parent,” explains Chung. “It’s not kid-friendly. There’s nothing really intuitive or fun. Why can’t you combine this medical information and gaming?” Thus, Jerry has an interactive touchscreen that runs on an Android smartphone platform, teaching children the fundamentals of monitoring glucose levels, managing insulin injections and maintaining a healthy diet.

What they’re doing in Providence:
The two met while attending Northwestern University, and began working together on Jerry the Bear through a student organization called Design for America, which Chung co-founded. Horowitz later spent a summer in Providence and fell in love with the community. “Everybody in Providence wants to help you because everybody wants to see Providence succeed,” he enthuses. “That’s the really beautiful thing about being here. Everybody has a vested interest in making this city an awesome place to be – and they’ll do whatever it takes.” They collectively decided to relocate here and were eventually accepted into Betaspring’s startup accelerator program. January 1 marks their one-year anniversary in Providence.

Why that’s significant:

Chung and Horowitz represent the best and brightest from a small, but enthusiastic and growing community of tech- and design-savvy young entrepreneurs. “What it’s doing is something special, and in a way reinventing Providence,” Horowitz says of the startup community. “I see this as the next cycle for Providence to be born into. I think it has huge potential to bring jobs and a new type of economy.” The duo is living proof that Providence can attract the next generation of entrepreneurs who are more concerned about a vibrant environment, creative talent pool and easy access to people and resources than taxes or regulatory structures.

What’s next for Jerry:
They’ve finalized the design. but are still testing him. (Rhode Island families of children with Type 1 diabetes are welcome to participate in those tests.) They’re also hoping to hire an Android developer based in Providence, because they’d rather find homegrown talent than look elsewhere. If all goes according to plan, Jerry will be available through direct purchase on their website, and possibly through other diabetes supply distributors, by late summer/early fall this year.

hannah chung, aaron horowitz, sproutel, jerry the bear, diabetes bear, betaspring, design for america, 10 to watch, 2013, providence monthly

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