{"687059":{"#nid":"687059","#data":{"type":"news","title":"At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Prototype Wins I2P Showcase","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis fall, the Marcus Nanotechnology Building overflowed with energy as 35 student teams unveiled their prototypes during the Ideas to Prototype (I2P) Showcase. Attendees from the Georgia Tech community and beyond got a firsthand look at prototyped solutions that addressed problems across industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe showcase featured a diverse mix of innovators: Startup Launch alumni, returning I2P students refining earlier concepts, and first-time participants stepping into the entrepreneurial arena.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETop Three Teams\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: Gorginea Care\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShalom Ejiwunmi \u2013 Applied Biotechnology, Fourth-Year, University of Georgia\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERakeb Tesfassellasie \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Third-Year, Georgia Tech\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESophia Bereket \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year, Kennesaw State University\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cross-institutional team from Georgia Tech, UGA, and Kennesaw State introduced an at-home cervical cancer screening kit, designed to give women privacy and control over their health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ETaking the Leap\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeam Gorginea Care started their journey at Georgia State University\u2019s Perimeter College, where they participated in the MESA program (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) \u2014 a dedicated study and research space located on Perimeter College\u2019s Clarkston campus. The team was sparked by a simple question: Why isn\u2019t there a better way to test for cervical cancer? The founders were planning on getting pap smears themselves, but they had heard about painful experiences from other women.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were hesitant to go through the process since it seemed uncomfortable,\u201d Tesfassellasie said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo, Tesfassellasie, Bereket, and Ejiwunmi decided to consider alternatives to the plastic speculum used during standard exams and develop a tampon-like device.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u0027s just giving women a choice basically to be able to take the samples and solve without having to be so vulnerable and uncomfortable,\u201d Tesfassellasie said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team joined the summer I2P and continued to develop their prototype in the fall semester course. Bereket said CREATE-X gave them resources and space without taking ownership.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe point of us being engineers is to make a difference in the world,\u201d Tesfassellasie said. \u201cCREATE-X gives you the chance to do that, and they don\u0027t take any intellectual property. You might be really passionate about whatever you\u0027re majoring in, but this is where you can start implementing what you learn in classes in real-life projects. CREATE-X is allowing you to do this without limiting you by Schools or where you\u0027re coming from.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInitially, the team hesitated to enter the InVenture Prize competition, worried they weren\u2019t ready.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe thought we could work on more things and find more ways to improve,\u201d Bereket said. \u201cWe can give ourselves a year. By next year, maybe we\u0027ll be ready to do Inventure Prize.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut I2P changed that. Bereket said she was shocked by the win, as the team had thought they\u2019d try Startup Launch first.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cNow it\u0027s the other way around,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u0027re excited to be part of the InVenture Prize, and we\u0027re going to see how everything works out as well.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you have an idea, or even if you don\u0027t have an idea but you feel very strongly about working on something, go to showcases like this and talk to teams and professors. Half the time, teams are looking for somebody to help,\u201d Ejiwunmi said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAdditional winning teams include:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: PedalSwap\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EWylam DeSimone \u2013 Electrical Engineering, Third-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EZephyr Smith \u2013Music Technology, Third-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis team reimagined guitar effects pedals by creating one main pedal case with interchangeable magnetic parts, reducing cost and increasing flexibility for musicians looking to experiment with new sounds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird Place\u003C\/strong\u003E: Matareal\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ELily Chisholm \u2013 Computer Science (Media and Systems), Fourth-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENicholas Castles \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMegan Liu \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Second-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EGloria Goudjinou \u2013 Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity), Second-Year\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETackling inefficiencies in mural painting, Matareal developed a paint estimation tool that cuts planning time from two days to two minutes, saving artists thousands of dollars in wasted materials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EWhat the Winners Take Home\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond recognition, winners earn a golden ticket into CREATE-X Startup Launch, Georgia Tech\u2019s summer accelerator program. This includes:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPriority admission to Startup Launch.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$5,000 in optional seed funding.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAccess to $200,000 in in-kind services, including legal and accounting credits.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMentorship from faculty and industry experts.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EVisibility from Demo Day.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAutomatic advancement to the InVenture Prize semifinals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype\u0022\u003ERegistration for Spring 2026 I2P\u003C\/a\u003E is open. Whether you have a fully formed idea or just a spark, I2P offers a $500 reimbursement, mentorship, and research credit to support you in making your ideas real.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe I2P Showcase at Georgia Tech featured 35 student teams presenting innovative prototypes, with first place going to Gorginea Care for their at\u2011home cervical cancer screening kit designed to offer women a more comfortable, private alternative to traditional exams. The team, made up of students from Georgia Tech, UGA, and Kennesaw State, developed a tampon\u2011like device after hearing about painful pap smear experiences. Second place went to PedalSwap, which created modular guitar pedals, and third place went to Matareal, which built a tool that drastically speeds up mural paint estimation. Winners earned entry into CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch, seed funding, mentorship, and a spot in the InVenture Prize semifinals.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Gorginea Care won the I2P Showcase for developing an at\u2011home cervical cancer screening kit, leading a lineup of innovative student teams who earned entry into CREATE\u2011X Startup Launch and advancement to the InVenture Prize."}],"uid":"36810","created_gmt":"2026-01-05 15:39:45","changed_gmt":"2026-01-12 19:08:08","author":"zzhang860","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2026-01-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678920":{"id":"678920","type":"image","title":"Fall 2025 I2P Showcase","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI2P Showcase Winners\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Place: \u003C\/strong\u003EGorginea Care\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShalom Ejiwunmi \u2013 Applied Biotechnology, Fourth-Year, University of Georgia\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERakeb Tesfassellasie \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Third-Year, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESophia Bereket \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year, Kennesaw State University\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Place: \u003C\/strong\u003EPedalSwap\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWylam DeSimone \u2013 Electrical Engineering, Third-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EZephyr Smith \u2013Music Technology, Third-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird Place:\u003C\/strong\u003E Matareal\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELily Chisholm \u2013 Computer Science (Media and Systems), Fourth-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENicholas Castles \u2013 Mechanical Engineering, Fourth-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMegan Liu \u2013 Industrial and Systems Engineering, Second-Year\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGloria Goudjinou \u2013 Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity), Second-Year\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1767633739","gmt_created":"2026-01-05 17:22:19","changed":"1767633955","gmt_changed":"2026-01-05 17:25:55","alt":"Pictured, the winners of the Fall 2025 I2P Showcase stand in Marcus Nano Tech atrium with their certificates","file":{"fid":"263017","name":"20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":6866646,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/01\/05\/20251202_I2P-Showcase-4.jpg?itok=qJs46R_i"}}},"media_ids":["678920"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/make\/idea-to-prototype","title":"Apply to I2P"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"193593","name":"gt-commercialization"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"106361","name":"Business and Economic Development"},{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003Cbr\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["bdurham31@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}