More than a nail polish | College of Engineering
Four NC State engineering students turned a senior design project into a company making nail polish that detects date rape drugs — and then the world found out about it.
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Four NC State engineering students — Tyler Confrey-Maloney, Stephen Gray, Tasso Von Windheim and Ankesh Madan — launched Undercover Colors, a company developing a clear nail polish that changes color when it contacts date rape drugs, allowing women to test their drinks discreetly at parties.
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Undercover Colors began as a senior design project in NC State's Department of Materials Science and Engineering and won $13,000 at the 2014 LuLu eGames competition. In the source
After the company went viral, it was discussed on ABC's Good Morning America just a few months after winning eGames. In the source
The company has developed several color-changing compounds and is testing them first in a tube, then on a nail surface. In the source
Statistics cited show that 18 percent of women will fall victim to sexual assault during their lifetime. In the source
Von Windheim says the opportunity to prevent extreme pain in people's lives is rare and something he is "very proud to be a part of." In the source
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You can make money a thousand different ways. But, having the opportunity to make such a huge difference in people's lives – to prevent such extreme pain – that's a rare opportunity.
Von Windheim explains why he chose mission over profit, framing the company's purpose as something irreplaceable.
In context
Von Windheim is the son of an entrepreneur. It wasn’t until he grew older and saw the impact his father’s work could have that he began to see starting a new company as more than a path to wealth. “You can make money a thousand different ways. But, having the opportunity to make such a huge difference in people’s lives – to prevent such extreme pain – that’s a rare opportunity. It’s something I’m very proud to be a part of.” When he’s not volunteering, working in the lab or speaking three or four times a week on sexual assault prevention, Confrey-Maloney serves as a mentor to other NC State student entrepreneurs working their way through business plans and seeking investment. They work, lear…
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One moment we were students with an idea and some promising research, and the next we had the attention of the entire world.
Confrey-Maloney captures the disorienting speed at which a student project became a global conversation overnight.
In context
That’s when a story about the company posted on a Triangle business website went viral. Undercover Colors and the idea behind it were on every major news website and all over social media. Just a few months after winning eGames, their company was being discussed on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Confrey-Maloney said it was as “exciting as it was frightening. One moment we were students with an idea and some promising research, and the next we had the attention of the entire world.” The company was still in its infancy and not looking for attention, but the exposure led to survivors of sexual assault and others reaching out with messages of encouragement. They knew they were on the right track…
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I know it won't make my daughter invincible to the risk of sexual assault, but it will at least provide a little peace of mind to every woman in the entire world.
A survivor voices what the product means emotionally to those it cannot fully protect, lending the company's mission personal weight.
In context
Started from a senior design project in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at NC State, Undercover Colors is now a company with seven full-time employees, investor backing and worldwide attention. It’s a company that offers survivors hope that others won’t have to go through the same trauma. As one sexual assault survivor told the team, “I know it won’t make my daughter invincible to the risk of sexual assault, but it will at least provide a little peace of mind to every woman in the entire world.”
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Undercover Colors is but one small part of a larger effort to combat sexual violence — including outreach, prevention, victim services, and culture-shifting.
Confrey-Maloney situates the nail polish within a broader anti-assault effort, countering any impression that technology alone is the solution.
In context
…every week volunteering with InterAct of Wake County, a Raleigh nonprofit that provides services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. Confrey-Maloney is a sexual assault emergency responder trained to assist survivors as they talk to police and are treated by a nurse. Gray volunteers on the agency’s 24-hour telephone crisis line. Confrey-Maloney says Undercover Colors is but “one small part of a larger effort to combat sexual violence.” That effort includes outreach, prevention, victim services and culture-shifting. He hopes the company’s product will serve as a deterrent to those who use date rape drugs, shifting a sense of fear potential victims might feel and putting it…
Undercover Colors is but one small part of a larger effort to combat sexual violence That effort includes — including outreach, prevention, victim services, and culture-shifting.
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Miller's bridge program offered a small stipend — described as 'rent and Ramen noodles' money — to keep the company alive while it sought further funding after graduation.
The stipend's informal nickname reveals how precariously the founders sustained the company through the critical post-graduation gap.
In context
After graduation, all four had job offers or chances to attend graduate school. Was it worth it to continue pursuing this dream? Miller created a bridge program that provided a small stipend (Miller refers to it as “rent and Raman noodles” money) to keep the company going as it sought further funding. The EI had taught them how to craft a business plan and pitch to potential investors. Those skills paid off and they continued to improve. They learned about patent law and received help in securing the exclusive rights to create and manufacture the product.
Miller's bridge program that provided offered a small stipend (Miller refers to it — described as 'rent and Raman Ramen noodles' money — to keep the company going as alive while it sought further funding after graduation.
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