Bremerton, WA— Businesswoman invents patent-pending insect repellent system. Monica Wood, Founder of Wood Originals, LLC, is celebrating exciting accomplishments for her flagship invention: the ‘SectAway (www.sectaway.com) Botanical Insect Repellent system. Her Company was selected as a finalist in the Kitsap Bank Edg3 FUND competition as a result of its contributions to the local community and socially-conscious mission. Concurrently, Wood launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the patent pending ‘SectAway. She started the business after leaving her surgical practice in 2014 because of multiple sclerosis (MS).
According to a 2011 University of Washington study published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, employment drops from 90% at time of diagnosis to 30% within 5 years. The high level of cognitive function and lengthy work hours required to be a surgeon meant Dr. Wood was only able to work for 2 years after her diagnosis.
“Redefining myself has been a challenge,” she states, “Your whole identity is wrapped up in being a physician after so many years of education and training.” She felt aimless at first, trying different projects that didn’t seem to capture her passion. Then, on a trip to Puerto Rico, she was inspired to combine her scientific background with her creative side by creating a product solution that did not exist.
The first local case of Zika was found in Puerto Rico only one week before her trip. She sought a mosquito repellent that wouldn’t feel “icky and sticky” on top of her sunscreen, but was disappointed in the aesthetics and eco-unfriendliness of the plastic coiled bracelets on the market. She reports, “I wanted to be able to refresh the repellent to keep using these bracelets and also wished they didn’t look like little phone cords. With my background, I knew that I could make something attractive, reusable and most importantly truly effective.”
Wood had taught herself to crochet and was already making thread and bead jewelry, using a spiral design that would provide the surface area necessary for holding a repellent. Next, she researched the best botanical oils for the task. “I found out what does and what does not work well according to the Environmental Protection Agency and using those data, experimented to come up with the best combination. Once I created an excellent formula, I knew that independent lab testing on live mosquitoes was a must. The resulting blend was 97.5% effective at keeping mosquitoes away. This exceptional result (which is comparable to national brands) confirmed that I was on the right track to achieve my goal to help people protect themselves from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses.”
She also wanted a way to prompt people to use ‘SectAway since “the repellent you don’t use doesn’t work!” The best way to achieve this is to keep the system close at hand, which means it needs to be visible. Therefore a decorative ceramic storage dish was necessary. Each one-of-a-kind piece has slits in various patterns that allow the repellent to permeate thus serving as a diffuser and providing protection next to a bed or in a tent when not wearing the jewelry but mosquitoes are still biting.
The aptly named ‘SectAway, combines fashion and function to meet the requirements of the savvy consumer. The patent pending product caught the attention of the judges in the Kitsap Bank Edg3 FUND, naming Wood a finalist in the competition that awards the winner $20k. This funding would go directly towards extensive live mosquito testing needed for EPA registration and for product development. The next step is to pitch her product to the judges at a live event at the Kitsap Conference Center on November 15, 2018. (www.kitsapbank.com)
While preparing for the Edg3 FUND Finals, Wood launched a Kickstarter campaign as an additional attempt to raise much needed funds for advancement. bit.ly/SECTAWAY
“The MS fatigue remains my biggest challenge,” says Wood. However, being her own boss means she can take naps and breaks frequently which fuels Wood’s commitment to ‘SectAway. She breaks projects into smaller tasks to avoid overtaxing her nervous system. “It’s not about what I can’t do, but what I CAN!”
The ‘SectAway Botanical Insect Repellent system fills the gap in the market for a product that successfully repels mosquitoes, is eco-friendly, smells fresh and looks great. “Keep Bugs Away the Fashionable Way” is more than a motto, it’s a promise.
