Every great idea begins with a moment of clarity. Mine came under the deceptive San Francisco sun as I sat in my UC Berkeley dorm during the 2024 Leangap summer program. Our mentor, Sadok Cervantes, had just told all 40 of us that the next day we would each have 60 seconds to pitch a business idea that would shape our project for the next four weeks. I stared at my phone, scrolling through a notes app filled with fascinating (yet infeasible) business ideas I thought of in the shower or in my dreams.
Then, a memory hit me—a stranger’s story I’d stumbled upon online. She recounted the terror of waking up in an unfamiliar hotel room, naked, with no memory of how she got there. Her voice trembled with the pain of reliving the experience of drink spiking— when someone adds a date rape drug to your drink, often with the intention of sexual assault or theft. Having a sibling and friends who have experienced similar tragedies, that haunting memory became my spark. It became the beginning of Spikey.
I spent the night researching existing solutions to drink spiking, looking for voids in the market that I could turn into opportunities. As I dug deeper, an idea began to take shape: a straw made of litmus paper that could detect common date-rape drugs. This concept felt both simple and powerful, and I became determined to turn it into a reality. I went to bed knowing I would pitch this idea to my peers the next day.
Day 2 of Leangap (pitch day!)
I stood before a room of 40 peers and 10 mentors, my voice emphatic (or at least I hoped it was), as I described the horrors of drink spiking and the need for a solution. My classmates and mentors resonated with the problem and believed in what I knew was a half-baked solution. That one-minute pitch became the foundation of an intense four-week journey of brainstorming, prototyping, pitching, and building something that made a real impact—an impact I plan to continue growing for years to come.
Out of 40 pitches, my idea was voted one of the top six. With a somewhat-curated team of eight high schoolers with diverse backgrounds and skill sets, we dove headfirst into research. That’s when we hit our first roadblock. For three days, I scoured research papers, articles, and interviews to validate the feasibility of the color-changing, drug-detecting straw. I even reached out to professors in Israel who had conducted similar research, only to find that their work was abandoned due to a significant lack of funding.
Every resource confirmed what I feared: a litmus paper straw was an infeasible goal in our 4-week turnaround time, hindered by chemical complexities and unreliable results. For a moment, it felt like my dream had died. I faced my disappointed group and said, “Should we switch to reusable tampon applicators?” (An idea that I’ve had for years). The four boys in my group almost gagged at the suggestion.
Roadblock? No. Opportunity!
The light at the end of the tunnel came in the form of a large UK-based pharmaceutical company that I found after continuing to search for a solution to drink spiking. This company produced drug detection strips that worked instantly and accurately, but their conspicuous, clinical packaging made them unappealing to younger users (who are disproportionately affected by drink spiking)– according to Berkeley students we interviewed. That’s when I had an “Aha!” moment. I thought, what if we turned these strips into a more discreet and visually appealing deliverable?
We reached out to the company and pitched my idea of integrating their strips into a keychain—something discreet and stylish—targeted to American college students. They loved the idea and partnered with us to bring SafeKey… SpikeSafe… SpikeTest… nope- SPIKEY (I’m very proud of coming up with the perfect name!) to life.
Over the next two weeks, we built a prototype and began selling Spikey keychains on campus, trying every form of free marketing there was: posters with QR codes, putting our website on every device in the Google store, and even putting up fake Playboy advertisements that actually led to a validation survey (we got 130+ responses.)
By the end of the program, we had sold over 300 keychains and generated $1,500 in revenue—a record-breaking success for Leangap!
Dorm Room Dream → International Reach
Leangap was just the beginning. After returning home, I poured everything into Spikey– sacrificing sleep and my social life to spend at least 3-4 hours a day improving the business. I taught myself how to master Shopify, create a credible social footprint, file for trademarks and patents, and secure seed funding through business competitions. My initial MVP website, which Sadok called a “scammy” page, has since transformed into a polished platform that has facilitated hundreds of sales.
Since launching in August 2024, Spikey has grown into a venture I’m immensely proud of. By challenging myself to reach out to senior executives and operations officers at national organizations, I’ve landed partnerships with organizations like College Moxie, Spike Aware UK, and Spiked Australia– bringing our mission to an international audience. Spikey is now available through spikeyfirst.com, Etsy, pop-up shops on university campuses, and our many Greek life and nonprofit distributors.
My personal favorite milestone was getting asked to be on TV–not once, but TWICE! When FOX and WSMV News reached out, I was both thrilled and terrified. Getting on TV was never on my 16-year-old bucket list. I had never been broadcast to such a large audience, so naturally, I turned to the one place that could help: artificial intelligence! Yep, I spoke to ChatGPT to practice sounding professional, clear, and not like someone about to black out on live television. If you ever heard me whisper “Stay safe with Spikey” into my computer during study hall, mind your business—I was rehearsing…
Beyond the Keychain: Spikey’s Mission
And somehow, it worked. Those interviews didn’t just give Spikey more exposure; they also transformed me into a more confident spokesperson for drink spiking awareness. It was surreal to see myself on the screen, but the real win was knowing Spikey’s mission was reaching people who’d never heard of it before—like my own teachers who came up to me at school to order products for their kids after unexpectedly seeing me on TV.
When envisioning the impact I wanted Spikey to have, I knew it had to go beyond being just a product. I wanted it to spark meaningful conversations about consent, safety, and empowerment, creating a culture of awareness and prevention.
By the end of 2025, I aim for Spikey to be a recognized name for campus safety, with our keychains distributed to students at 10+ national university and Greek life communities. Long-term, I envision Spikey being handed out to every incoming freshman across major universities worldwide.
Building Spikey has been a journey of trial, rejection (to my naive surprise), and growth. I’ve learned through unpleasant yet necessary conversations with uninvolved members that a smaller, collaborative team often outperforms a larger, disconnected one. Downsizing was a tough decision, but it allowed our team to focus on productivity and genuine passion.
Balancing a global mission with the realities of being a junior in high school has been one of the biggest challenges. Spikey’s team, spread across the country, juggles demanding schedules, time zones, and responsibilities. Nevertheless, our shared commitment to combating drink spiking and hands-on entrepreneurial learning keeps us moving forward.
From wearable keychains to partnerships with global organizations, Spikey is just getting started. It’s a movement to prevent tragedies and empower individuals to take control of their safety. The journey hasn’t been easy, but every challenge has been worth it. Each story shared reminds me why I started and who I’m fighting for. Spikey is more than just test strips on keychains—it’s about connection, awareness, and change, so no one has to endure the fear and trauma caused by drink spiking.
Kaeya Majmundar, another key mentor at Leangap, once told us that 99% of all startups fail within the first 5 years. I am determined to ensure Spikey is part of the successful 1%.
A HUGE thank you to Leangap and all the friends and mentors who have supported Spikey’s growth. Leangap helped me navigate managing a team with tough love and excel at being a student entrepreneur while prioritizing mental health and I’m forever grateful for that.
Still here? I’m impressed. Now make us both proud and get yourself a Spikey and use the code LEANGAPFAM for 10% off your order :)
