The Metropolitan Economic Development Association held their inaugural MEDA Million Dollar Challenge for Minority Entrepreneurs. The competition attracted businesses from across the country and the first place winner was HabitAware, a company based in St. Louis Park.
More than 200 businesses applied to participate, and 19 semi-finalists were chosen to compete in the finals event in downtown Saint Paul.
HabitAware is a software tech company started by Aneela Kumar and her husband Sameer Kumar. They've created wearable technology that helps people target destructive, repetitive behaviors such as hair pulling or nail biting, and to then retrain their brains to stop the behavior. The couple was awarded $400,000 for the first-prize finish.
