INVOINNOVATION AND NEW VENTURES

SteadyScrib: An Unlikely Collaboration and Purposeful Effort Spur a First-of-Its-Kind Solution

For years, Northwestern undergraduate Izzy Mokotoff (Medill ’24) enjoyed a treasured tradition with her grandfather – affectionately known as “Pops.” Each week, the two sent handwritten letters to one another. The simple act connected generations and fostered everlasting bonds. But as Pops’ Parkinson’s symptoms intensified, challenging his manual dexterity and ability to pen a note, the letter writing ceased.

Motivated to find a solution, Mokotoff solicited help from a campus neighbor, Alexis Chan (McCormick ’24), on the development of a manual writing tool to counteract the most writing-inhibitive Parkinson’s symptoms, including tremors, rigidity, and slow movement.

Over the 10-week Jumpstart pre-accelerator program at The Garage, Mokotoff, the journalism student, and Chan, the biomedical engineering major, collaborated to bring SteadyScrib to life. They interviewed physical and occupational therapists about dexterity issues and potential interventions. They used CAD modeling software and 3D printers at The Garage’s Makerspace to develop 11 different iterations, refining key features such as a weighted, curvier grip to accelerate movement. They tested prototypes at Parkinson’s support groups. Every piece of feedback informed the next iteration. Every iteration energized the project’s progress.

At the Jumpstart program’s session-closing Demo Day in August 2022, SteadyScrib won the $4,000 first prize as well as the audience favorite award.

Mokotoff and Chan have since secured two provisional patents with support from the Donald Pritzker Entrepreneurship Law Center at Northwestern, earned a spot on Chicago Inno’s annual Inno Under 25 list highlighting young Chicago area innovators, and landed in VentureWell’s E-Team Grant Program, a national initiative designed to push high-impact student innovations into the marketplace.