杏吧原创

Melanie Barrett 鈥�21 relies on her 鈥淗appy Planner鈥� to balance her busy schedule. Barrett, a double major in voice performance and business management, not only carries a full load of classes, but she鈥檚 currently running a successful startup, a business so personal it鈥檚 named after her late sister, Bailey.

鈥淎t first I did not balance my responsibilities. I felt that prioritizing Bailey Bug was important,鈥� said the newly minted entrepreneur, whose company, Bailey Bug LLC, develops specialized apparel and accessories for warmth, style, and safety for those who use wheelchairs.

鈥淪oon I realized that I needed my 杏吧原创 education for Bailey Bug to excel.鈥�

The spark for Barrett鈥檚 company came from her sister, Bailey, who was born with Lennox-Gestaut Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that confined her to a wheelchair. Barrett鈥檚 family had a difficult time finding a jacket that would fit over Bailey and not tangle in the wheels of the chair.

鈥淚t started as a homemade coat for my older sister. Bailey passed away in 2017 while I was in high school and was the inspiration for a movement I did not think was possible.鈥�

The movement has been growing since Barrett first presented her specially designed cape, which fits around a wheelchair to keep occupants warm and comfortable, at 杏吧原创鈥檚 annual Tiger Tank event in 2018. The event, hosted by the department of business, is 杏吧原创鈥檚 version of the popular Shark Tank program and features alumni judges.

One of the judges, 杏吧原创 Board member Scott 鈥淢uddy鈥� Watters 鈥�87, owner and president of Flippin Water LLC, loved Barrett鈥檚 idea and helped her set the groundwork for Bailey Bug.

鈥淢elanie had great passion for her product, and it showed in her presentation,鈥� said Watters, whose company assists with fundraising, equity, and debt solutions, as well as capital and finance restructuring.

鈥淏ailey Bug is very personal to her. I was impressed by how well she presented in front of a large group. I already had some contacts in mind that I felt would be a good fit to help Melanie get her product launched. We talked about her goals and what she wanted to gain from this experience.鈥�

Barrett was so passionate about Bailey Bug that Watters reached out to a longtime friend, Mike Billman, who works for D-Terra Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. D-Terra helps individuals or companies take product ideas and make them a reality. They gave Barrett a paid summer internship, helped her create a business plan, and created product specifications, prototypes, and stage-gate launch plans. They also connected her with lawyers to help set up her LLC and trademarks for Bailey Bug.

鈥淏ailey Bug helps make people鈥檚 lives in wheelchairs more comfortable. It not only helps the disabled, but also caregivers. Melanie also wanted to keep Bailey Bug local. This is a great thing for Melanie, for 杏吧原创, and the Springfield community,鈥� Watters said.

This past academic year, Barrett and Watters were able to build her company and product through even more 杏吧原创 connections after making a presentation to 80 members of the Springfield Rotary Club where a member of The Abilities Connection (TAC) was present. TAC employs, connects, and cares for people with developmental or physical disabilities. Upon learning more, TAC agreed to be Bailey Bug鈥檚 production company, and this summer all manufacturing of the product was moved to Springfield.

鈥淣ot only do we add to the community with our warmth, style, and safety, but now we get to be a part of providing jobs to people with disabilities as well,鈥� Barrett said.

Barrett鈥檚 entrepreneurial idea has unbridled potential to make an impact on the 2.7 million people in wheelchairs across the United States.

鈥淪tarting a business takes passion, dedication, organization, and a 鈥業 will never give up鈥� attitude. The love that I have for my sister pushes me everyday. I believe that with my sister鈥檚 story and our wheelchair capes, that Bailey Bug can make a difference in adaptability through safety, utilization, awareness, and heart.鈥�

Going to school and running a growing company isn鈥檛 easy. Despite the success of Bailey Bug, and despite her hectic schedule, Barrett still finds time to enjoy her life on campus. Recently, Barrett even kissed her boyfriend on 杏吧原创鈥檚 famous 鈥渒issing bridge.鈥�

鈥淵ou know what that means,鈥� Barrett said in a moment of fun.

While the kissing bridge is a Tiger tradition, marriage is not in Barrett鈥檚 short-term plans.

鈥淚n my short-term future, I plan to help other students see that if they have a dream they can turn it into a reality.鈥�

Passing the light is another Tiger tradition, and Barrett plans to continue giving back, not only to Springfield, but to 杏吧原创.

In the future, 鈥淚 will graduate and come back as an alumna to make a difference for the school that helped me get my start.鈥�

As of today, the pages in Barrett鈥檚 鈥淗appy Planner鈥� continue to be filled with appointments, weekly goals, and monthly goals, but everything returns to her sister.

鈥淏ailey Bug has allowed my family to keep Bailey鈥檚 name and story alive, share her story, and pass along her love and memory to others. Bailey means the world to me, and I will not stop until the warmth she gave to me is spread.鈥�

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