RAJIA ABDELAZIZ
Age: 29 Cofounder, invisaWear
SOCIAL IMPACT
InvisaWear began with a scary experience. In 2015, Abdelaziz was walking to her car when men in an SUV began catcalling, and one got out. She ran in panic. The University of Massachusetts Lowell student was so shaken, she decided to do something about it. Teaming up with best friend and classmate Ray Hamilton, she created jewelry, keychains and fitness bands with a discreet button that, when pressed, would cue a smartphone to send a distress call to friends and 911. InvisaWear launched sales in 2018, with “SOS” products starting at $149. A $20 monthly subscription includes support from ADT security agents, who can watch or listen via cellphone in an emergency. Sales hit $6 million in 2022. So far invisaWear has helped thousands of people, including a woman trapped in a crashed car and another who woke up struggling to breathe. “We’re trying to do our best to convince people to buy the product before they need it, not after a situation has happened,” Abdelaziz says.
Rajia Abdelaziz, 29
Ray Hamilton, 29
Cofounders, invisaWear
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JUDGES: Wemimo Abbey, cofounder, Esusu; Jean Case, chairman, National Geographic Society; Cheryl Dorsey, president, Echoing Green; Randall Lane, chief content officer, Forbes