Farley Announces 2025 Morehead Family Innovator Fellows
Victoria Israel and Trevor Abbott will develop healthcare technology startup HaptE through 10-week summer program
Northwestern University's Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has named Trevor Abbott (’26) and Victoria Israel (’26) as the 2025 Morehead Family Innovator Fellows. The Northwestern Engineering students, both majoring in mechanical engineering, will share a stipend to develop their startup, HaptE, over a 10-week summer program.
Israel and Abbott aim to revolutionize data collection in healthcare through HaptE, which has developed low-cost data-sensing gloves that track hand motions and grip strength for physical therapy applications. While their initial focus is improving patient outcomes in physical therapy, their technology has broader potential applications in manufacturing, logistics, and robotics.
The startup has already secured pilot agreements with physicians, and their work earned them recognition through The Garage's Jumpstart pre-accelerator program, where in 2024 they won second place and $8,000 in funding. They also are Little Joe Ventures fellows, a program at The Garage that offers financial support and mentorship to second-year students.
Israel brings a background in social impact, having previously founded STEMOA, an international nonprofit providing scientific resources to low-income students.
“This summer, I’m focused on growing as a leader and learning how to build not just a product, but a company that lasts,” Israel said. “With the support of the fellowship, we hope to refine our long-term vision, strengthen our customer base, and demonstrate the real-world impact of our technology.”
Abbott combines aerospace experience with entrepreneurial vision. Together, they recently led the Metallic Expandable Technology for Artemis Lunar Structures (METALS) project, which took the highest honor at NASA's 2024 Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge forum.
“After months of customer discovery, this summer is a time for us to fulfill our first customer contracts and roll out our pilots,” Abbott said. “We are excited and honored to be awarded this fellowship and look forward to having an impactful summer that will propel HaptE to success for years to come.”
The Morehead Family Innovator Fellowship provides $6,000 stipends to each fellow, allowing them to pursue entrepreneurial activities full-time over the summer. Fellows also receive mentorship from Farley Center faculty and gain access to University spaces, including the Farley Center and The Garage.
The fellowship program, funded by a donation from Jennifer (BS '00; MBA '08) and Brad Morehead (MBA '05), is open to any Northwestern undergraduate who wants to pursue an entrepreneurial venture over the summer. Projects can span various areas, including technology, social impact, arts, and more.