Based: Louisville
Year founded: 2023
Founder(s)/top executives: Terri Lykins, CEO
Capital raised to date: $25,000
Key investors: Vogt Awards
Number of employees: 1
Brief company description: My Food, My Choice is a digital software platform that uses picture and sound technology to help people with autism and Down syndrome independently make healthier food choices through gamified learning and incentivization. This reduces friction between eaters and caregivers while improving health outcomes.
What is your company working on right now? Defining feature enhancements and user-experience improvements; raising capital, onboarding users and testing experience; and team building.
What’s on the horizon for your company in 2024? Continued testing with family caregivers and local agencies/group homes that support people with autism and Down syndrome. Getting the product in front of as many people as possible to understand what aspects are rewarding and meaningful — and what features should be modified, added or deleted. Testing the product’s ability to improve eating habits by increasing users’ intake of fruits and vegetables through an (submitted, status pending) Small Business Innovation Research grant to the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
Why grow your company in/from Kentucky (or Southern Indiana, if applicable)? Kentucky has one of the top health clinics in the nation for the care of adults with intellectual and developmental challenges, The Lee Specialty Clinic, where my nutrition practice is based. In my 20-year career as a registered dietitian specializing in the nutrition care of this population, I have developed deep roots in the community and have supportive connections with many local and national experts in this field. This enables me to test our product in many settings, right here at home.
Give us one bold prediction in 2024 for startups, technology or venture capital/fundraising. As AI-driven technology becomes more complex and multi-faceted, I predict that simpler, more streamlined tech will help bridge the tech equity gap for people with intellectual and developmental differences, and with cognitive challenges like dementia and Alzheimer’s, who need caregiver support and the ability to make their own choices and decisions.
