Meet our featured Pledger for December! 👋👇 Debra Babalola graduated from the Innovation Design Engineering course in 2022, a Master’s programme delivered by the Dyson School of Design Engineering and the Royal College of Art. She co-founded Dotplot with her course mate Shefali Bohra whilst they were still students. They spotted a gap for a device to facilitate the early detection of breast cancer - which is critical given that 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. The pair set themselves the goal of creating a solution, and Dotplot (https://dotplot.co) was born! Their response involves a handheld device and mobile app which provides real-time analysis of monthly breast tissue readings to highlight any abnormalities. Dotplot won the prestigious James Dyson Award in 2022 and has secured two Innovate UK research and development grants. Their device was showcased at the Royal Society of Arts’ President’s Lecture to HRH The Princess Royal. Describing herself as an “unlikely innovator”, Debra credits her studies with showing her how to approach problem-solving in imaginative ways, and to avoid making false assumptions. Dotplot’s development process has involved hundreds of in-depth interviews across diverse customer groups to understand breast health monitoring needs, followed by comprehensive user testing. Learning how to draw insights from user research and translate these into technical requirements has been a valuable takeaway from her time at Imperial College London. Outside of the classroom, taking part in the “Venture Catalyst Challenge” provided Debra with a huge source of learning and personal development. Dotplot won Imperial Enterprise Lab’s leading entrepreneurship programme in 2022. Debra reflects: “I had no prior business experience, but I left the programme feeling equipped with a good understanding of what is required to get my startup off the ground. Getting to the finals was unreal; the whole night was a series of pinch-me moments. My mum always says it felt like being at the Oscars!” She concludes “We can’t tell Dotplot’s story without mentioning Imperial’s constant encouragement. Signing the Imperial Entrepreneurs’ Pledge is a small token of my appreciation for all the College has done. Imperial’s students are well-placed to tackle so many different challenges facing humanity. It would be a privilege to play a part in supporting future innovators and leaders.” Could you be a pledger? A gift of any size by an Imperial alumni could help accelerate progress in tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges whilst giving students the chance to do what they love and fulfil their potential. To find out more about Imperial Entrepreneurs’ Pledge, visit: https://lnkd.in/eTuEBMpr #entrepreneurship #philanthropy #legacy #imperialmeansbusiness #enterprise Imperial Enterprise | Imperial College London | Imperial Venture Mentoring Service (IVMS) | Imperial Enterprise Lab
