Two young entrepreneurs in Denver say attacks on women in their families motivated them to create a product that alerts loved ones of potential trouble. Their company, Revolar, now sells its small electronic alert devices at Target stores, Amazon and other national chains, and recently got a new CEO. Co-founder Andrea Perdomo tells Colorado Matters how her grandmother's kidnapping in Colombia inspired her to create the device.
It has three alert levels, which communicate to friends and family when the user is in imminent danger and needs help (red); not sure what is happening around them (yellow); or is in a safe place (blue). Perdomo's partner, Jacqueline Ros, says, "We interviewed hundreds of survivors of sexual assault and other crimes, and they all said, 'I had a bad feeling and I didn’t act on it because I didn’t want to bother anyone.' By giving them a yellow alert, you’re giving them a safe way to cry wolf."
Ros said many of the company's users have chronic illnesses or are runners who spend time alone on streets or trails where they could be vulnerable.
