Getting dressed in the dark is a reality for the 10 million Americans suffering from colorblindness.
Two McKeesport High School students are tackling that challenge and turning it into a business. The duo and their company, Made in the Shade, won the 5th Annual George W. Tippins Annual Business Plan Competition and $2000 in seed capital.
Keena Simmons and Ryah Gadsen developed the idea as a class project in their senior year. "We had to make a business plan and enter the contest as part of the class," says Simmons. "Ryah's granddad is colorblind and we were brainstorming ways to help him."
The two designed durable, iron-on clothing tags with letters to indicate color. With the help of a chart, users can determine the color combinations they might want to wear. The chart also differentiates between formal and informal combinations.
"We used basic concepts of colors and our own opinion of what goes together," Simmons explains.
The annual competition is a showcase for middle and high school students, giving students an opportunity to find relevance in learning by developing ideas and skills in a real life experience, says Jerry Cozewith, president of Entrepreneuring Youth, sponsor of the competition.
"It is vital for our community to expand their investments of time as volunteer coaches and funding to engage even more youth, especially those living in economically-fragile neighborhoods, " says Cozewith.
Simmons plans to attend University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, as a pharmacy major and Gadsen will attend California University in the fall to study sports medicine. They are using the seed money to purchase laptops so they can continue to work together on Made in the Shade while they are in school.
Writer: Debra Diamond Smit
Source: Jerry Cozewith, Entrepreneuring Youth, Keena Simmons, McKeesport High School
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