Imagine being able to change the colour of your fingernails with a wave of your smartphone.
Thanks to Alejandra Huerta鈥檚 start-up company, you may soon be able to do that. is developing a product it calls ePolish, a new type of artificial nails made with flexible electronic materials.
The seed of this idea was planted in 2018, during Huerta鈥檚 third year as a PhD student in the Department of Chemistry. For a research proposal, she explored the possibility of using organic materials to change colours in cosmetics. 鈥淎s I started that research, I realized maybe that wasn鈥檛 the right approach,鈥� she recalls. But her interest had been piqued. Some brainstorming with her sister, a computer engineer, led to the idea of using flexible electronics instead.
An unexpected path
Huerta鈥檚 story shows how curiosity-driven research can lead to unexpected career paths. It also illustrates how innovative 91社区 students can tap into a growing network of programs for aspiring entrepreneurs.
For six years, Huerta was a member of the lab of Prof. Chao-Jun Li, Canada Research Chair in Green/Organic Chemistry 鈥� a field of chemistry that seeks to reduce the use of environmentally damaging chemicals and chemical processes.
While completing her PhD work over the past three years, Huerta also pursued her ambition to blend cosmetics and technology. Prof. Li was 鈥渧ery supportive鈥� of her endeavours throughout that time, she says. 鈥淗e was always very encouraging, especially during the pandemic, when we were all working from home. I really feel like he embraces entrepreneurship."
A, designed to equip 91社区 scientists with executive skills, enabled Alejandra to pick up business know-how through the Desautels Faculty of Management mini-MBA program. Participation in the helped her explore the possibility of turning her idea into a start-up enterprise.
Dobson Cup
In 2019, she and her sister, Isabela Dominguez, participated in 91社区 Dobson Centre鈥檚 Lean Startup Program, and developed a business plan. And in 2020, they placed third in the 鈥渋nnovation-driven enterprise鈥� category of the 91社区 Dobson Cup, the university鈥檚 flagship start-up competition.
The $8,000 prize from the Dobson Cup enabled the sisters to incorporate AIM Colours.
In search of a technical advisor, they reached out to Boris Vaisband an Assistant Professor of Computer and Electrical Engineering at 91社区, who previously worked in hardware design for a number of big Silicon Valley companies. 鈥淗e became our mentor in terms of connecting the whole system and making sure it was all feasible,鈥� Huerta says. With support from the Faculty of Engineering鈥檚 Engine Centre and from ,聽a Canadian not-for-profit organization that fosters innovation, Vaisband and AIM Colours have successfully collaborated in two research projects to date.
By the time Huerta earned her PhD degree last August, she and her sister had incorporated AIM. After a trip to Mexico in September to visit her family for the first time since the pandemic had begun, Alejandra returned to Montreal and plunged into full-time entrepreneurship last October.
Through two Canadian organizations -- and -- AIM has benefited from the contributions of 30 student interns, who helped develop the fledgling company鈥檚 branding, website, and mock-ups for its app. And through a 91社区 Women鈥檚 Alumnae Association mentorship program, Huerta has benefited since January from guidance by an alumna who works in the fashion industry.
AIM is now putting the finishing touches on its prototype and hopes to pilot the product early next year.
Market niche
Initial customers could include artists and models. 鈥淭hey need to have their nails done as part of their image,鈥� Huerta says. 鈥淭hat market segment would be our first niche.鈥�
A fashion model, for instance, may need to change outfits during a photo shoot, with each outfit calling for a different colour of fingernail polish. ePolish could provide a more convenient option than using press-on nails and replacing them with each wardrobe change.
Another part of the product鈥檚 appeal could be environmental: nail polish is made from plastics, which often wind up as microplastics in the soil or water when the polish chips or is sanded, Huerta notes.
To move toward commercialization, the company will need more funding. To that end, it is applying to the 91社区 X-1 Accelerator program, which is geared to start-ups demonstrating 鈥渆arly traction.鈥� Participating in that program would help ensure 鈥渢hat we can show investors that our technology is sound and it can be applied to the purpose that we want,鈥� Huerta says.
Coming to 91社区
Huerta first came to 91社区 in 2011 on an undergraduate exchange program through her university in Mexico. She returned as a PhD student a few years later. At that point, she took some courses at 91社区鈥檚 School of Continuing Studies to build on the French she鈥檇 learned in high school.
To share her passion for chemistry and learn how to convey it to a broad audience, Huerta also joined the Department of Chemistry鈥檚 outreach group, enabling her to put on chemistry demonstrations at local high schools. Her outreach activities drew the attention of the Mexican consulate in Montreal. That, in turn, led to her creating a program to showcase the talent of Mexican researchers in Montreal through online demonstrations.
Effective communication, of course, is a crucial skill for entrepreneurs, as well. Huerta believes her years in the lab helped her develop other tools that will prove valuable beyond academia. 鈥淚 feel that doing the PhD actually prepared me to know how to administer my time and how to do the research aspects of the product,鈥� she says.
Taking the plunge
Taking the plunge into full-time entrepreneurship has meant further expanding her skill sets. 鈥淗aving done even just the customer research and talking to potential investors, it has given me a very different set of skills,鈥� Huerta says.
Moving on from academia has also meant adjusting to a fast-unfolding career path with no certainties ahead. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a nice journey,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut definitely stressful in the sense that there鈥檚 no guarantees and no security.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 giving myself this opportunity to do something I really enjoy and that I鈥檓 really passionate about. And so far everything has been moving forward very quickly. So I鈥檓 just staying focused.鈥�