The 
Story
Hello, and thank you for visiting us!
My name is Nana, and I am the founder of Nipa Ye.
I started on this journey to bring to mothers a fresh take on an at-breast supplementer because of my struggles breastfeeding my child and trying out what was available on the market.
My journey started after having my first child and taking him in for his first checkup after getting home. During the visit, I was told by the doctor that I needed to formula feed my baby because he had dropped weight, suggesting he was not getting enough nutrition through my attempt to breastfeed. I was heartbroken at the thought of accidentally starving my newborn.
The clinic offered a supplementer and suggested I try out the product to help encourage stimulation to the breast. The idea of the supplementer excited me, and I could not wait to use it at home. However, after some attempts of using said supplementer, it became apparent my baby and I were both struggling to use the device. I looked into other supplementers on the market, including trying a homemade supplementer. However, none of these supplementers worked for us.
I continued to struggle with breastfeeding and downheartedness. An at-breast supplementer is a great idea, but I wondered why there wasn't an alternate design on the market to better support mothers like me.
That was when I took out one of my sketchbooks and grabbed a pencil. I initially started on this journey simply wondering what a better supplementer designed for me would be. I did not think my supplementer sketching days would lead to me creating the version I had wished to have during my struggles to breastfeed my newborn.
During my research, I learned that inverted nipples affected a percentage of mothers and I did not want to exclude any group of mothers. My intention was to design a supplementer that was intuitive and would support virtually all mothers, no matter the shape or size of the breast or nipple.
Long story short, the journey took eight years. Eight years of refusing to bring to market anything less than what I would be proud to share with other mothers.
From one mother to another mother—You got this!
With Love,
Our Name, Nipa Ye
Our company's name is Nipa Ye, with the actual spelling being Nipa Yɛ (nipɑ jɛ; NEE-paa YEH).
I am originally from Ghana and Twi is my native language, which is where the phrase, nipa yɛ, comes from. Nipa yɛ means “people are kind” or “people are good.”
I believe in the best in others, and so it was natural to pick such a name for my company.
My intention in life is to serve others with my best possible efforts, and that intention is not lost with this company and the launch of our At-Breast Supplementer.
I hope to be of help to you. Please let me know how I can better serve you and your children with our product offerings.
Our Journey From Concept to Creation
This timeline illustrates our journey from the very first spark of an idea through the stages of prototype development, patenting and funding pursuits. It also highlights our efforts in market research, and our progress towards commercial manufacturing and distribution.
2015
- Child is born.
- Introduced to an at-breast supplementer via my healthcare provider.
2016
- Explored homemade supplementer.
- Sketched concepts for a better supplementer.
- Returned to school to continue MBA program.
- Engaged in entrepreneurship classes.
2017
- Conducted research with lactation consultants.
- Consulted engineers for initial feedback.
- Explored polymers at University of Utah.
- Collaborated with engineers on first 3D-printed prototype.
2018
- Filed provisional patent.
- Continued prototype development with engineers.
- Competed in entrepreneurship competitions.
2019
- Continued prototype refinement.
- Participated in startup competitions.
- Submitted proposals for funding.
2020
- Submitted project pitch to National Science Foundation (NSF).
- Continued prototype refinement.
- Prepared proposals for NSF and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding.
2021
- Continued refining prototypes.
- Pursued funding opportunities.
2022
- Patent issued.
- Continued prototype refinement.
- Explored manufacturing partnerships.
2023
- Attended vendor convention.
- Participated in business development programs.
- Continued engineering and manufacturing efforts.
2024
- Finalized design for manufacturing.
- Initiated production of the Nipa Ye Supplementer.
