Changing the Narrative: Innovation in Diabetes Care

By Katie Ray

Coleman College of Business student Preston Poag ’21 has set a goal to change the narrative of the diabetic industry. As Chief Executive Officer of Appalach Medical, Poag has invented an auspicious product to do just that.

Poag was interested in business at a young age. While completing two years of college in high school through dual enrollment, he also competed in Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) competitions. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. The 21-year-old finished his degree in business administration, with a management emphasis, at UPIKE in two years.

Last October, Poag represented UPIKE in the largest intercollegiate pitch competition in Kentucky, KY Pitch, a program under KEENStart that offers educational opportunities and programs around entrepreneurship, design-thinking and innovation strategies. The KY Pitch competition is designed to inspire innovators and entrepreneurs by providing an inclusive platform for future leaders to develop and pursue their ideas.

As part of a New Venture Creation course taught by Assistant Professor of Business Clarke Leichte, D.B.A., students are tasked to create a product or service of their own. After hearing Poag’s idea of dissolvable glucose tongue strips to regulate blood sugar for people with diabetes, Leichte insisted he enter the KY Pitch competition.

“Preston was very self-motivated. I basically helped him flush out his original idea, reviewed his submission and gave him encouragement along the way,” said Leichte. “Students like Preston don’t need a lot of supervision. He knows what he wants to do and just needs me to keep him going in the right direction.”

Poag says it was sheer luck and the right timing that his idea made it to the competition.

“I really have to give all the credit to Dr. Leichte because I would not have known about the competition without him,” said Poag. “None of this would have been possible without his continued support and encouragement.”

Spending a great deal of time at his grandparents’ house with his type 1 diabetic grandmother, he says the idea actually came to him when he was 13-years-old.

Preston Poag with his grandmother, Mona

“It seemed like she was always having problems with sharp blood sugar drops,” said Poag. “She would ask me to get her a Coke or candy from the pantry, then I would continue the cycle of walking back and forth, bringing her snacks, and watching her continue to check her blood sugar after eating.”

He noticed his grandmother had no clue how much sugar she was intaking and how the products she was consuming would affect her blood sugar.

“She was always playing the ‘guessing game,’” said Poag. “The idea hit me sitting on the couch, and I will never forget it because eight years later, I am developing it.”

The motivation comes from my grandmother. I promised her I would make this a reality.

Poag submitted a business model of his product, DiaStrip, which will come in a box of 30 strips with three compartments separating 5g, 10g and 15g glucose strips. It will also include a table showing how many strips someone would need based on body weight and current blood sugar level.

“The product is placed on or under the tongue and dissolves within seconds, entering your bloodstream in the quickest means possible. It can be placed under the tongue of unconscious individuals as well,” said Poag. “We are trying to help as many people as we can, and we believe that DiaStrip has the potential to save thousands of lives worldwide.”

Poag was chosen among 16 finalists and competed in the Exploratory Track, for newly formed ideas, against seven other businesses. Contestants then had to submit a two-minute People’s Choice Award Video explaining their concept.

In the competition’s final component, students were given the opportunity to pitch their business concept to a large audience composed of investors, community leaders and the public. The group of entrepreneurs had 10 minutes to present, followed by five minutes of questions from the panel of judges. On October 24, 2020, the winners were announced at a virtual ceremony. Poag placed third, an outstanding achievement, winning $1,500, which he is using to research and develop his product.

“I connected with a chemical engineer out of Iowa State University, and we are in the process of formulating the product,” said Poag. “At Appalach Medical, our mission is to improve the lives of others by providing affordable and effective solutions to fight the world’s health crisis.”

Leichte says great products come out of personal experiences.

“Preston is taking what he saw with his grandmother and developing a better way,” said Leichte. “I have no doubt that Preston will be a success with DiaStrip or anything else he decides to pursue.”

DiaStrip is currently in the developing stage and is not available for purchase yet. Appalach Medical has made it a priority to offer DiaStrip at an affordable price of $9.99 per box, including a monthly subscription option.

“I am trying to make life easier for people with diabetes; which is hard enough to deal with. I want to provide something that can ease the process of dealing with low blood sugar,” said Poag. “The motivation comes from my grandmother. I promised her I would make this a reality.”

Stay connected with the progress of DiaStrip by following Appalach Medical on Instagram and Facebook.