News

Sara Fedullo (BEng’21) didn’t want to be a small ant in a big ant farm. She wanted to stand out and make an impact on society. Her gateway to do that: her engineering degree.

When her partner, Dal medical student David Hodgson, came home one evening with the idea to create a solution that would help children with asthma more effectively administer their medication, the Dal Chemical engineering grad was inspired.

Today, Sara is the co-founder and COO of Hollo Medical, a company that helps reduce the burden of chronic respiratory diseases. In doing so, Sara and her team are re-inventing the traditional bulky valve holding chambers currently used by millions of asthma patients around the world. Instead, they are designing a portable, pocket-sized device that’s effective, easy to use, and encourages more asthma patients to administer their medication.

Born and raised in Italy, Sara moved to Canada seven years ago to pursue a degree in Chemical Engineering at Dal. Now, in addition to launching a successful start-up company and designing a device that could help millions of people who suffer from asthma and other respiratory illnesses, Sara hopes to inspire other women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) who sometimes struggle to find their path within the industry.

On Thursday, September 15^th, Sara will be speaking at an Entrepreneurial Workshop hosted by Dalhousie’s Faculty of Engineering Women in Engineering Society (WIE), about her experience as a recent engineering grad and her journey as an entrepreneur. Along with guest speaker, Veronica Merryfield, the event gives Dalhousie students the opportunity to advance their entrepreneurial skills in areas such as business management and explore their entrepreneurial spirit.

WIE Entrepreneurial Workshop:
Date: September 15^th
Location: Emera IDEA Building, 1345 Norma Eddy Lane
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Register Here

Veronica Merryfield is an international electronic and engineering leader with a BEng from the University of Portsmouth. Now an expert in residence at the Dalhousie Emera ideaHUB and currently working with Drinkable Water Solutions Inc, Veronica has served as Chief Technology Officer for multiple companies around the globe. Passionate about giving back, Veronica is a dedicated advocate for marginalized communities, and regularly speaks on STEM related subjects and on equity, diversity and inclusion.