Alicia Chong Rodriguez facts for kids

Alicia Chong Rodriguez is a talented engineer and inventor. She is the founder of a company called Bloomer Tech. Alicia creates special "wearable technologies" that help people get personalized healthcare. Her main focus is on helping women with heart conditions. In 2021, she was honored as a TED fellow, which means she's recognized for her amazing ideas.

Early Life and Education

Alicia Chong Rodriguez grew up in San José, Costa Rica. When she was in high school, she visited the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She really wanted to go there, but her family couldn't afford it at the time.

So, Alicia started her college journey at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology. After two years, she moved to the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. There, she earned her Bachelor's degree in electronic engineering. While studying, Alicia noticed that there weren't many women in engineering. To help, she started a group called "Mujeres en Tecnología" (Women in Technology). This group helped women engineers support and encourage each other.

After college, Alicia went back to Costa Rica. She worked as an engineer at a company called Teradyne for six years. Then, she joined a special summer program at Singularity University. This program helped her see how technology could solve big problems in the world.

A New Idea for Women's Health

During her time at Singularity University, Alicia learned something important. She found out that women were often left out of research about heart disease. This is a big problem because heart disease affects millions of women. She realized that because women were not studied enough, their heart symptoms were often missed.

Alicia also discovered that the devices used to check heart problems, like electrocardiograms, didn't always work well for women. This was a major challenge. She decided to go back to MIT for her Master's degree. There, she worked on a project to design new solutions. She teamed up with classmates Monica Abarca and Aceil Halaby. Together, they came up with an amazing idea: using a bra to track heart health.

Career and Innovation

After finishing her studies at MIT, Alicia Chong Rodriguez officially started Bloomer Tech. The company's name honors Amelia Bloomer. She was an activist who encouraged women to wear more comfortable clothing.

The Bloomer Bra

The main invention from Bloomer Tech is the "Bloomer bra." This smart bra is designed to fit a woman's body perfectly. It has special sensors that are washable, stretchy, and can be changed. These sensors are built into the fabric. The Bloomer bra started clinical trials in 2018. This means it was tested to make sure it worked well and was safe.

Alicia explained that making the bra was tricky. The biggest challenge was getting clear, accurate medical signals. They also had to make sure the bra was comfortable and looked good. Her team also created a mobile app. This app collects data from the bra and gives users reports about their activity and heart health.

In 2021, Alicia shared her work on the smart bra during her TED fellowship talk. She showed how her invention could change healthcare for women.

Helping Others in Engineering

Alicia is also very passionate about making engineering more diverse. Besides starting "Mujeres en Tecnología," she also created an engineering program. This program helps young women who might be at risk. She wants to inspire more girls to get involved in science and technology.

Awards and Honors

• MIT Legatum Fellowship
• MIT Graduate Women of Excellence Award
• Medtech Boston 40 under 40 Healthcare Innovator
• Inc. (magazine) Top 100 Female Founders
• TED fellow