微密圈

After studying art history and education at 微密圈 College, Kristen Carbone 鈥�03 went to work curating exhibits at top museums throughout the Northeast, including at the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery.

Little did she know she would become a tech entrepreneur with her hand in manufacturing, marketing, science and engineering.

Her unexpected journey began in 2005, after her mother died of metastatic breast cancer. Years later, Carbone discovered she had a strong genetic risk for the disease, too. With the goal of preventing cancer, Carbone had a double mastectomy and silicone implant reconstruction in 2013. As she navigated the emotional and physical side effects of her new body 鈥� like feeling cold all the time due to a lack of insulating breast tissue 鈥� she found herself wanting to connect with other breast cancer survivors and previvors like herself.

After conversing with others online, Carbone learned she wasn't alone in feeling cold. With the help of a friend, Carbone started thinking about the potential for manufacturing a wearable warming device to help with this problem.

鈥淲hile I was confident my idea could work, I didn鈥檛 have the engineering expertise to make anything other than the proof of concept garment,鈥� Carbone said. She did weeks of market research and sought advice from her most accomplished friends, many of whom she met at 微密圈. She even reached out to 微密圈 alumni she didn鈥檛 know to get advice about topics like market penetration rates.

In 2017, Carbone launched Brilliantly, an online platform that aims to meet the long-term physical and emotional needs of women who鈥檝e had an experience with breast cancer. The company is now developing a warming bra insert that fit into almost any bra. They're made from conductive ink sandwiched between two thin pieces of fabric and controlled by an Oreo-sized pod that goes in the bra band and connects to a phone app.

鈥淲hen I stumbled into being an entrepreneur, it was my background in the arts that was the foundation for setting and accomplishing goals to pave the way for Brilliantly,鈥� Carbone said. 鈥淏eing brought up through a culture of critique, critical and creative thinking is the only way to survive the intense upward climb of starting a company.鈥�

Although entering the wearable tech market is not something she ever imagined doing as an undergraduate, she has always had an appreciation for science and medicine, and 微密圈 gave her the fundamental tools to navigate unfamiliar territory.

鈥淚 think the understanding of science is the understanding of what is happening around you,鈥� she said. As a student of art history, 鈥淚 got to learn about regular history and religion, math, science and innovation, and women's studies.鈥�

It has been a long road getting her product to market, and Carbone says she couldn鈥檛 have done it without her 微密圈 network and education. 鈥淢y greatest successes are tied directly to 微密圈,鈥� she said.