Shani Erdman

News Editor

If you saw Jordana Gotlieb ‘15 this past fall, you would probably assume she was a typical first semester senior. Chances are, you wouldn’t guess that she successfully invented a product to assist visually impaired individuals navigate around obstacles.

Gotlieb first heard about the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge, an annual entrepreneurial competition that involves submitting an invention, in her Science Research class as a sophomore. Upon learning about this competition, she began brainstorming ways to enrich the lives of the disabled.

She has certainly achieved this goal and now calls her product the B.E.L.T (Blind Enhanced Location Technology.)

This December marked Gotlieb’s third appointment as a semifinalist in the Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge. Additionally, the teen has been featured in two articles, including “Top Teens Of The Valley: 10 To Watch” (http://www.ourventurablvd.com/April-2015/Top-Teens-of-the-Valley-10-to-Watch/index.php?cparticle=5&siarticle=4#artanc).

Upon hearing that she would be honored in such an article, Gotlieb humbly stated that she was “very shocked but extremely excited and flattered.”

She is grateful for all of the collaboration and expertise that knowledgeable individuals contributed in regard to various components of her device.

Currently, she is doing her best to advance her patent-pending product.

“I am trying to make it the best it can be before I hopefully market it,” Gotleib said.