Nonprofit enFocus Provides Support for Growing Startup heARsight

At enFocus, we support successful entrepreneurs by providing them with a robust variety of professional resources to overcome their challenges and take their ideas to the next level.

At enFocus, teams have dedicated time for applied research, entrepreneurial, and social initiative projects to catalyze innovation in our region. We collaborate with entrepreneurs, researchers, and organizations to discover and incubate new ideas.

Fellow Riley Ellingsen is dedicating his RDE time towards his startup heARsight. Riley, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame ESTEEM program, came to enFocus to develop a pair of smart glasses that will create real-time subtitles in a heads-up display designed for individuals who are hard of hearing or d/Deaf.

The idea was created by heARsight’s co-founder, Danny Fritz, who witnessed a close friend’s increased difficulty hearing during the pandemic. He realized that his friend, who is hard of hearing and relies on lip reading as a visual aid for speech comprehension, could no longer rely on lip reading with masking during the pandemic. One night when they were watching a movie with subtitles, Danny thought, “Why can’t we take subtitles off the screen and into real life?”

And heARsight was created!

So why would an aspiring entrepreneur like Riley come to work for enFocus? Riley said he applied to enFocus because “the enFocus model has allowed me to work on interesting, impactful projects in the region while also being afforded the time necessary to lead heARsight as it has grown and evolved.” The balance between projects, time, and resources has been crucial for the success and development of the startup and Riley as an entrepreneur.

Additionally, Riley shares, “the Fellowship model offers founders a unique opportunity to work on their ventures without worrying about making ends meet.” The prospect of focusing on meaningful projects in the region while simultaneously leading his startup was an enticing proposition for Riley.

The region has also played a significant role in the development of heARsight. Riley shares that although heARsight has expanded beyond regional boundaries with a distributed team and a broader target market, the initial stages of the startup were significantly influenced by the regionality of his work. “heARsight has certainly benefited from the regional resources and entrepreneurial ecosystem,” says Riley.

Riley expands on the entrepreneurial landscape of the South Bend-Elkhart region. He describes the efforts by the remarkable number of people and organizations working diligently to grow regional business. Their efforts will have a great long-term impact on the economic development and quality of place for the region. Riley continues, “in the short term, this means that there exists a wealth of support here for entrepreneurs and a growing collection of resources to help entrepreneurs get ‘unstuck,’ raise funds, and test new products and services.” For aspiring entrepreneurs, access to a wealth of support, resources, and opportunities aids them in overcoming hurdles in the early stages of their startup.

As Riley moves into the second year of his Fellowship, he has clear goals for heARsight. Currently, heARsight is building a minimum viable product which will allow them to test key assumptions and guide the next steps of their product roadmap. Riley shares, “by the conclusion of the two-year Fellowship, I hope to be working full-time on executing the learnings from this phase to deliver a product that truly helps solve the unmet needs of our users.” At enFocus, we have been honored to be a part of heARsight’s journey and provide Riley with the foundation and support necessary to pursue these aspirations.

Riley’s entrepreneurial journey has offered him a unique platform to balance the development of his startup and personal growth. Through enFocus, Riley has accessed valuable resources, honed his skills, and collaborated with an exceptional network of individuals. The regionality of his work has provided the support he needs, while the South Bend-Elkhart region has proven to be an entrepreneurial hub teeming with opportunities. As Riley's Fellowship with enFocus progresses, he is excited to take heARsight to new heights, leveraging the lessons learned and the support received during his time with enFocus.

Learn  more about heARsight by visiting their website or read more by visiting the IDEA Center website and Startup SBE.