Company: MagnaReady, Raleigh, NC, USA
Company Description: Necessity was the mother of invention for Maura Horton when she came up with the idea for MagnaReady®. Maura was inspired when her husband lost the ability to button his shirt due to Parkinson’s in his forties. MagnaReady is a magnetically infused clothing line that has grown into a brand dedicated to making dressing simpler for able-bodied people and those facing mobility challenges.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Consumer Products –10 or Less Employees

Nomination Title: Maura Horton, CEO and Inventor

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated entrepreneur since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Necessity was the mother of invention for Maura Horton when she came up with the idea for MagnaReady®. Her world was turned upside down when her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at the age of 48. A stay at home mom with two young girls, Maura decided to start her own company after the effects of Parkinson’s disease led to her husband being dismissed from his job as a college football coach.

The inspiration for MagnaReady® came to Maura when her husband had to rely on a player to help him after a game because his Parkinson’s prevented him from buttoning his shirt. Determined to help her husband remain independent, Maura came up with the idea of a magnetically infused shirt he could easily put on without needing finger dexterity. MagnaReady® is the first fashionable, magnetic closure dress shirt for people with limited mobility.

What began as a home sewing project just meant for her husband launched as a one-woman startup in early 2013. Working out of her home, Maura grew the business to introduce a line of long sleeve shirts for women in addition to the long sleeve dress shirts for men. In mid-2014 she also debuted a line of short sleeve dress shirts for men.

In addition to tripling her product line in under a year, Maura collaborated with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to donate proceeds from the sale of her shirts during National Parkinson’s Awareness Month. To support the collaboration, help raise awareness about the disease and raise funding, Maura secured a feature for the MagnaReady® shirts on the Today Show with Kathy Lee and Hoda.

Today’s Caregiver Magazine chose MagnaReady® as a 2014 Caregiver Friendly Award Winner. Maura has also been honored with an invitation to be the guest speaker at the 2014 American Parkinson’s Association Gala. And, she was selected as a mentor for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Open Style Lab program. For 10 weeks, Maura mentored teams of students working with disabled clients to create adaptive clothing solutions to meet their individual needs.

Overall, Maura has grown MagnaReady® extensively after just one year of being in business. Sales for 2014 are already more than double the total sales for 2013. The company has expanded internationally and MagnaReady® shirts are now available to purchase through the MagnaReady® ecommerce site and via catalog ordering. But, for Maura the most rewarding part of running her business is hearing daily from customers about how the shirt has changed their lives or the lives of loved ones.

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated entrepreneur (up to 125 words):

Maura Horton is the wife and caregiver of Don Horton, career college football coach who was diagnosed with Young Onset Parkinsons Disease at 48. The mother of 2 young children is also the founder and CEO of MagnaReady, a magnetically infused clothing line that was created because of her husbands challenges with mobility and dressing. Designed in a moment of necessity, MagnaReady has grown into a brand dedicated to making dressing simpler for able-bodied people and those facing mobility challenges. Maura is frequently a guest speaker for Parkinson’s and Caregivers events nationwide. She is also a mentor for MIT's Open Style Lab.