David Gilbert grew up in Warren County as a self-described computer geek. He took his first computer class from Katrina Haley on his way to graduating in 1985.
Nearly 30 years later, Gilbert returned to McMinnville to launch what he hopes will be a revolutionary new product called Evermind. The product connects to ordinary household appliances as a way to monitor the daily routine of a senior or someone who may need a little more home support.
"My grandmother was the inspiration for this and she was one of the first to have the prototype in her home," said Gilbert during his product launch Thursday at the McMinnville Noon Rotary Club's regular meeting. "This shows it's possible to dream up big ideas in Middle Tennessee and to make those ideas possible right here in Middle Tennessee."
People who use the Evermind system plug three of their regular household appliances into the sensors. These can be items like a bedside light, a coffee maker, or a TV.
Then when the homeowner turns on their coffee maker in the morning, Evermind sends a text message to a family member to let them know coffee is brewing at 7 a.m. If the senior regularly brews coffee every morning at 7 a.m., and hasn't started the coffee pot by 9 a.m., Evermind can send a text message warning that the person is not following their normal routine and may need to be checked.
In the evening, if the senior normally turns off their bedside light at 10 p.m., Evermind can send a text if that light is still on three hours later.
"It's definitely worth it for my peace of mind," said local resident Darla Seymour, who has been using the Evermind system in her mother's home since January.
The first 1,000 Evermind systems have already been produced in Tullahoma and are ready for purchase. At least 1,000 more will be produced by the end of the year, Gilbert says.
The cost of the Evermind system is $199. That includes three Evermind outlets that can be plugged into three appliances. There is also a monthly monitoring fee of $29.
Gilbert says the product comes with a warranty. As long as the owner is paying the $29 monthly monitoring fee, the Evermind devices will be repaired or replaced free of charge.
All three Evermind devices in the home communicate with each other wirelessly and include a data cellphone modem. This modem allows Evermind to send its messages via cellphone even if the homeowner does not have Internet or wi-fi.
"Our research showed that over half of the people age 65 or older don't have wi-fi in their home, so if we were to require these to work with wi-fi then we would have been eliminating a large part of our target audience," said Gilbert.
Getting his idea from his head and into production was a tireless process. One key step was joining forces with The Entreprenuership Center, a sort of business incubator for technology-based companies.
"Our goal is to help people who show up with ideas," said Michael Burcham, president and CEO of The Entreprenuership Center. "We have to figure out if these are people with legitimate ideas that are for real, or are these just people with a nifty PowerPoint and a cute presentation. And of course a company like this doesn't happen without financial support."
Evermind benefitted from the financial backing of four main supporters who were in attendance Thursday for the launch.
The next hurdle was then to get the sensors into production by finding a company which could manufacture them. Evermind joined forces with Tullahoma-based Cubic Transportation.
"You just don't have an idea and it comes to fruition," said David Robertson of Cubic Transportation. "These guys have gone through protocol after protocol and put in the time to make it happen. We have enough plant capacity to be able to handle Evermind as it grows."
Gilbert said his grandmother, Lois Hennessee, uses the Evermind system in her home. Hennessee, 96, lives alone and leads and active life.
She is featured in a Evermind promotional video talking about the benefits of the system. She said it fits in well because she has a regular routine that includes daily trips to the Senior Center and then watching TV when she returns home in the afternoon.
As far as retail outlets, Gilbert said Evermind is working on its distribution network. At this point, he said the best way to purchase the system is through the Evermind website at www.evermind.us. He said it will take two to three weeks for delivery.