Our Founders/Our Story

• In her time as a teacher, Ms. Alex Salesin has observed that teachers often struggle with behavior data collection methods while busy with instruction. Pencil and paper methods usually mean pausing lessons or backlogging notes later. To address this problem, Ms. Salesin started thinking about creating a lanyard that would allow teachers to collect behavior data electronically, without pausing instruction. 

• In her time as a school psychologist, Dr. Kristen Mike has observed that it can be challenging for teachers to provide discreet and immediate feedback to students with attention, impulse-control, sensory, communication, and social-emotional challenges. Current immediate feedback methods (e.g., verbal corrections, point/reward systems, visual cues) can be effective, but they may draw attention, disrupt learning, or be missed. Tactile cues (e.g., a tap on the shoulder) can also be effective, but can lack immediacy as the teacher must move around the room to make that physical connection. To address this problem, Dr. Mike started thinking about creating a gentle "nudging" haptic feedback bracelet to help shape student behavior. 

• During a summer vacation in Maine, Ms. Salesin and Dr. Mike combined their ideas. Together, they created Nudgies™, a wearable solution that allows teachers to stay in the flow of instruction while helping students build focus, independence, and self-regulation. The ongoing collaboration between Ms. Salesin and Dr. Mike merges classroom practicality with psychological insight and research-informed practices. 

• Dr Mike's pet Budgies, Sweet Pea and Blueberry, inspired the brand name as Nudgies™ = Nudges + Budgies.

We are in the working prototype development stage and are seeking investors!