Natalia Guzman

My plan is to keep building BackBuddy, Inc., the company I founded to develop a wearable device that protects the spines of dogs prone to intervertebral disc disease (IVDD). I'm using my MS in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at UIUC to design and test the product properly, and I'm working with veterinary neurologists and rehab specialists to back it with real clinical evidence. My long-term goal is to lead a veterinary medical device company that brings preventive, engineering-based solutions to pet owners and veterinarians.

Outside my coursework in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, I'm focused on entrepreneurship and on finding communities that support women and underrepresented students in STEM. My company, BackBuddy, works with Orange and Blue Ventures, a student consulting practicum at Gies, and hosts student interns through the ATLAS internship program. I'm also involved with PAWS (Program for Animal Welfare Through Service at Illinois), which does hands-on volunteer work with local animal organizations and connects students with veterinarians. That ties directly to my work protecting dogs through BackBuddy. This semester I'm starting to explore more of campus. I'm going to the Technology Entrepreneur Center's First Friday Breakfasts and other TEC events, and I'm getting to know Graduate Women in the Society of Women Engineers, Women in Chemical Sciences, Minorities in Animal Science, the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, and Design Build Fly. I also plan to join the Women's Resource Center's Crafternoons, as a way to recharge and meet women from across campus.

When I'm not working on BackBuddy or school, I like to sew, garden, ride my motorcycle, read, do puzzles, and try new restaurants. Sewing, gardening, and puzzles let me slow down and watch something come together piece by piece. Riding clears my head better than anything else. Trying new restaurants is my favorite way to explore a new place, and with my move toward Chicago, I have plenty of places left to try.