Julie Moylan
ESTEEM graduate student Julie Moylan is the founder’s associate for Sorbashock, a dual stiffness technology material that has been proven to reduce peak impact force of a fall by up to 75 percent. According to Sobrashock, one in four Americans over the age of 65 fall every year. This causes a reduction in quality of life as well as emotional and financial burden. The goal is to reduce these falls from happening. Sobrashock prides itself on its dual stiffness technology which provides rigidity and cushion for different use cases.
Sorbashock has been placed in four beta testing locations. In one location, it has reduced fractures resulting from falls by 80 percent.
Sorbashock’s flooring is designed to buckle in response to a fall. The company has developed a shock absorbing, click together flooring system that is easy to install and looks like wood for the interior of a home. Sorbashock's target audience is senior homeowners over the age of 65 looking to age in place and/or the family of seniors who are looking to make the home of their loved ones safer.
Currently, Sorbashock is testing their business model. Sorbashock’s plan is to be sold to local home improvement companies such as Home Depot, Lowe’s and Menards as well as directly to homeowners. The company will complete their business model and pricing tests by the end of this month.
With a $96.8 billion market size, Sobrashock’s goal is to sell in at least one Lowe’s test shop by this May. If all goes well, they plan to expand to more stores and eventually reaching the 17 million U.S. adults over the age 65.
Moylan graduated from National University of Ireland, Galway with a bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. Currently, she is pursuing a master of science degree from the ESTEEM graduate program at the University of Notre Dame. ESTEEM is Notre Dame’s only entrepreneurship, technology and innovation graduate program. It is also an acronym, standing for the “Engineering, Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Excellence Master's” program. Moylan will graduate this spring.