Penn President Liz Magill awarded the 2023 President’s Innovation Prize toGabriella Daltoso, Sophie Ishiwari, Gabriela Cano, Caroline Amanda Magro, and Tifara Eliana Boyce for their project, Sonura.
The group consists of bioengineering majors at the School of Engineering and Applied Science and they are also graduates of the Penn I-Corps program. Their project, Sonura, is focused on developing a beanie that promotes the cognitive and socioemotional development of newborns in the NICU. The Sonura Beanie aims to protect the newborns from the auditory hazards of their environments, while fostering parental connection. It is composed of a frequency-dependent filter as well as a mobile application.
The President’s Innovation Prize is designed to empower Penn students to design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world. As the winner of the 2023 President’s Innovation Prize, Sonura will receive $100,000 to put towards the development of their startup, as well as a $50,000 living stipend per team member. The Sonura team is mentored by Brian Halak, a lecturer in the Engineering Entrepreneurship program. Read more here.
