Professional Startup
For a more in-depth look into my role at SteadyScrib, please read this article!
SteadyScrib was founded by two undergraduate Northwestern students in the Fall of 2021 out of Northwestern's Garage. The Garage is a space on campus where students can find resources and advisors to support their entrepreneurial venture.
Izzy — SteadyScrib co-Founder and CEO — grew up exchanging handwritten letters with her grandfather. After his Parkinson's symptoms advanced to a debilitating stage, their cherished tradition was cut short.
Thus, this venture began as a passion project, to find a writing solution for people with Parkinson's Disease. SteadyScrib is working hard to restore a sense of joy and confidence for millions of others with Parkinson’s, one pen set at a time.
Person with Parkinson's testing out the SteadyScrib pen and clipboard set
I joined the SteadyScrib team in January of 2023. For the first 6 months, while school was in session, I was working part time, helping out where I could, iterating on the design, and producing pen and clipboard sets for various competitions and user testing. Once the summer started, I began working full time and took on additional responsibilities.
My responsibilities as SteadyScrib Director of Design and Manufacturing included leading a team of engineers and regularly meeting with manufacturing and consulting partners. My role involved managing material sourcing, supplier communication, and constantly iterating pen and clipboard designs using CAD. I also prototyped pen designs by 3D printing components and built clipboards through sheet metal fabrication, CNC milling, and laser cutting. Lastly, I explored manufacturing options and evaluated production approaches.
Prior to EDI(the masters program I recently graduated from at Northwestern University), I spent three years working full-time in a consulting engineering role, which allowed me to bring a certain amount of experience to the position. While I could apply some lessons from my past experience in a traditional workplace, working at SteadyScrib has shown me that startups prioritize a different set of skills. Working at a startup requires the ability to take on various roles and step into areas where you may lack knowledge or expertise. This requires a level of versatility, confidence, and the capacity to learn quickly and independently.
Please visit the SteadyScrib website for more information