Philadelphia entrepreneur creates first patented safety jewelry
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The first patented safety jewelry - created right here in Philadelphia - is not only a reality, but it's ready to ship.
The safety device, called Roar, looks like any other piece of jewelry. You can wear it on a necklace or on a bag like an accessory.
But unbeknownst to a potential attacker, this small black device, which is about the size of a quarter, is a mighty safety tool.
"I am woman hear me roar and the device itself is called Athena, which is after the Greek goddess of wisdom, power and justice," said the product's creator, Yasmine Mustafa.
Should someone threaten you, you press Athena's button - and she roars.
"It will immediately emit an 85 decibel alarm and messages friends and family your location so they can come help you," said Mustafa.
Mustafa says she came up with the idea while backpacking through South America.
"And while it was really fantastic, it was really distressing because everywhere I went I kept hearing from women about stories about times they had been attacked," she recalls.
When she got home, she heard news of a brutal attack on a woman a little too close to home.
"There was a brutal rape a block from my apartment. A woman went out to feed her meter and was grabbed from behind and dragged into an alley and brutally raped," said Mustafa.
The next day Roar was born and in just one month, Mustafa and her University City team raised $300,000 through crowdfunding.
"With over 5,000 pre-orders in over50 countries all around the world it was amazing," she said.
And part of her profits go right back to helping fix the problem.
"We actually take a portion of the proceeds that we make and invest in programs that teach empathy to young children," she said.
Mustafa is working with authorities to also wire Athena so she can not only contact friends and family, but also local authorities and even campus police.
