This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Molloy chapter.
Name: Bobby Lenahan
Year: Senior
Hometown: Moriches, NY
Major: Accounting
We’ve heard about your business IV Hero, can you tell us more about it?
“IV Hero is a simple paper sleeve that covers an IV Bag in a hospital to make it less scary for kids. Each bag is designed with superheroes or princesses, so with a little imagination, it transforms the hospital room into a kid’s fantasy. Instead of thinking they’re getting “scary medicine”, kids can now get their own superpowers or become their own princess.”
How did you come up with the idea?
“I was reading an article about how 90% of pediatric patients that go for a CT Scan in a hospital were so scared, that they had to get fully sedated by an anesthesiologist. This often caused problems because if an anesthesiologist wasn’t on hand, the kid could not do the scan and the results would be delayed. Instead of just re-engineering the entire CT Scan Machines, GE came out with big vinyl stickers that covered them and made them look like pirate ships and submarines. After that, kids were begging to go back to the hospital because it was like a theme park. I wanted to do something else to help kids in hospitals, and so I created IV Hero. It started as a drawing on a whiteboard and is now a patent pending and commercially printed product.”
How did you get your business noticed?
“I speak with EVERYBODY. I worked with the nursing professors at Molloy, I emailed and sent packages to nurse managers in hospitals, I am very involved with a lot of local entrepreneurs. Anywhere that has anything to do with nursing, I’m there. A lot of the nurses I meet really love it and show it to their boss, and we work from there. People are actually really willing to help me and support me because I’m a college student… plus, who doesn’t want superpowers?!”
What is your ultimate goal with this business?
“I want to create an entire brand. There’s a scene in almost every superhero movie where it shows the hero getting their superpowers and feeling stronger and by the end, they’re ready to take on anything. I want a kid that’s in the hospital to feel like that as soon as they enter the hospital room. IV Hero really lightens the mood in such a scary time for a lot of people, and there are so many opportunities to transform a hospital room into an experience – just like GE with the CT Scans.”
Have you always had an inventive mindset?
“Kind of? I always ask “why” to a lot of things, like “why won’t this work”. I like to get to the root of a problem and fix it. I like toying with cars and engines and building things, but it wasn’t until I got involved with the Entrepreneurship Club that I really said “wow, I can have an idea and really bring it to life.”
What inspires you to create?
“My customers are my BIGGEST inspiration. I get updates from the hospitals I’m currently in, and there is absolutely nothing better than hearing about the 5 year old boy that saw IV Hero and wanted to make his own superhero; or the 12 year old girl who was absolutely terrified, but kept asking if she could take Super Sally home with her to keep in her room because it made her feel safe. IV Hero really makes a difference for these kids in such a scary time, and knowing that I can ease some of their pain is by far the biggest inspiration.”
Do you have any other business endeavors or inventions right now?
“Currently, no. Schoolwork and IV Hero already keep almost all of my time tied up. But I always have ideas bouncing around in my head.”
What was your first invention?
“My first invention was a product called Emergencell. It was a disposable phone charger, so the idea is that your phone is dying and you’re on the move in NYC, and you don’t carry a portable phone charger around with you. So you walk into a store, pick up Emergencell, plug it in to your phone, and then throw it away when you’re done. Super easy and super cheap. It never worked out for me, and then about 8 months later I found out Home Depot is selling basically the same thing.”
Do you have any advice for prospective inventors?
“If you have an idea, the first thing you need to do is create a pitch.”
1. What’s the problem
2. How does my product fix it
3. How much does it cost and how much can I sell it for
4. How am I going to market it and sell it
5. Can I actually do it (ie: if you don’t know how to make an app, don’t pitch an app)
“If you can answer all those questions, then just do it. Make a prototype and start showing it off and talking to people about it.”
What is the best memory you have as a businessman/inventor?
“To set the stage: I was at the SUNY Business Plan Competition statewide finals. I had just presented the best pitch I had ever done against students that were literally trying to cure cancer (with a few million dollars of funding, which I did not have). The judges and the crowd loved IV Hero because it was simple, easy, and actually worked. Then, I was told by one of the judges that they thought I had been disqualified because I should have been in a different category. I was LIVID. The administrators would not stand up for me – and even the students that I was competing against were talking to the judges on my behalf because they wanted me to win. I didn’t want to hear the winners get called out. I was all the way up in Albany, it was cold, and I just wanted to go home and call it quits. I was standing there, fuming while the judges called out the winners. And then they called my name. My jaw must have dropped to the floor and I just stood there in disbelief.
That is my best memory because of how rewarding it had felt to finally be recognized after the hundreds of hours that had gone into my pitch. Plus, the money I won from the competition is what allowed me to go on and start my business.”
Instagram: @lennybobbahan
Twitter: @lennybobbahan