Melanie Barrett ’21 relies on her “Happy Planner” to balance her busy schedule. Barrett, a double major in voice performance and business management, not only carries a full load of classes, but she’s currently running a successful startup, a business so personal it’s named after her late sister, Bailey.

“At first I did not balance my responsibilities. I felt that prioritizing Bailey Bug was important,” said the newly minted entrepreneur, whose company, Bailey Bug LLC, develops specialized apparel and accessories for warmth, style, and safety for those who use wheelchairs.

“Soon I realized that I needed my Wittenberg education for Bailey Bug to excel.”

The spark for Barrett’s company came from her sister, Bailey, who was born with Lennox-Gestaut Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy that confined her to a wheelchair. Barrett’s family had a difficult time finding a jacket that would fit over Bailey and not tangle in the wheels of the chair.

“It started as a homemade coat for my older sister. Bailey passed away in 2017 while I was in high school and was the inspiration for a movement I did not think was possible.”

The movement has been growing since Barrett first presented her specially designed cape, which fits around a wheelchair to keep occupants warm and comfortable, at Wittenberg’s annual Tiger Tank event in 2018. The event, hosted by the department of business, is Wittenberg’s version of the popular Shark Tank program and features alumni judges.

One of the judges, Wittenberg Board member Scott “Muddy” Watters ’87, owner and president of Flippin Water LLC, loved Barrett’s idea and helped her set the groundwork for Bailey Bug.

“Melanie had great passion for her product, and it showed in her presentation,” said Watters, whose company assists with fundraising, equity, and debt solutions, as well as capital and finance restructuring.

“Bailey Bug is very personal to her. I was impressed by how well she presented in front of a large group. I already had some contacts in mind that I felt would be a good fit to help Melanie get her product launched. We talked about her goals and what she wanted to gain from this experience.”

Barrett was so passionate about Bailey Bug that Watters reached out to a longtime friend, Mike Billman, who works for D-Terra Solutions in Columbus, Ohio. D-Terra helps individuals or companies take product ideas and make them a reality. They gave Barrett a paid summer internship, helped her create a business plan, and created product specifications, prototypes, and stage-gate launch plans. They also connected her with lawyers to help set up her LLC and trademarks for Bailey Bug.

“Bailey Bug helps make people’s lives in wheelchairs more comfortable. It not only helps the disabled, but also caregivers. Melanie also wanted to keep Bailey Bug local. This is a great thing for Melanie, for Wittenberg University, and the Springfield community,” Watters said.

This past academic year, Barrett and Watters were able to build her company and product through even more Wittenberg connections after making a presentation to 80 members of the Springfield Rotary Club where a member of The Abilities Connection (TAC) was present. TAC employs, connects, and cares for people with developmental or physical disabilities. Upon learning more, TAC agreed to be Bailey Bug’s production company, and this summer all manufacturing of the product was moved to Springfield.

“Not only do we add to the community with our warmth, style, and safety, but now we get to be a part of providing jobs to people with disabilities as well,” Barrett said.

Barrett’s entrepreneurial idea has unbridled potential to make an impact on the 2.7 million people in wheelchairs across the United States.

“Starting a business takes passion, dedication, organization, and a ‘I will never give up’ attitude. The love that I have for my sister pushes me everyday. I believe that with my sister’s story and our wheelchair capes, that Bailey Bug can make a difference in adaptability through safety, utilization, awareness, and heart.”

Going to school and running a growing company isn’t easy. Despite the success of Bailey Bug, and despite her hectic schedule, Barrett still finds time to enjoy her life on campus. Recently, Barrett even kissed her boyfriend on Wittenberg’s famous “kissing bridge.”

“You know what that means,” Barrett said in a moment of fun.

While the kissing bridge is a Tiger tradition, marriage is not in Barrett’s short-term plans.

“In my short-term future, I plan to help other students see that if they have a dream they can turn it into a reality.”

Passing the light is another Tiger tradition, and Barrett plans to continue giving back, not only to Springfield, but to Wittenberg.

In the future, “I will graduate and come back as an alumna to make a difference for the school that helped me get my start.”

As of today, the pages in Barrett’s “Happy Planner” continue to be filled with appointments, weekly goals, and monthly goals, but everything returns to her sister.

“Bailey Bug has allowed my family to keep Bailey’s name and story alive, share her story, and pass along her love and memory to others. Bailey means the world to me, and I will not stop until the warmth she gave to me is spread.”

For more information, visit www.baileybug.org.