Entrepreneur Ajay Kori found success as the co-founder of UrbanStems. Now he’s looking to alleviate migraines.
Going from flower delivery to migraine technology might seem like a big leap, but for Ajay Kori, whose father spent his entire career helping those with migraine headaches, there was no head-splitting involved. “I’ve seen firsthand how debilitating migraines can be in someone’s life,” he explains. “When there was an opportunity to significantly help these people—I jumped at it.
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Kori, the founder and chairman of the flower and gift delivery company UrbanStems, took a focus on “greenery” in a whole new direction. Based on the research by Harvard Medical School researcher and a former colleague of Kori’s father, Dr. Rami Burstein, Kori designed the Allay Lamp to emit a very particular bright green light that is soothing for those who suffer from migraines.
Ordinarily, migraine sufferers shrink from any form of light during an attack, with the head pain and light sensitivity going hand in hand. But Dr. Burstein’s team discovered a narrow band of green light that produced a very different reaction. “It can actually soothe the brain during a migraine attack, even while all other colors of light made the attack worse,” Kori explains.
A new way to alleviate a condition that affects an estimated one in seven people globally is groundbreaking in itself. But according to Kori, there are more benefits to be found. “We’re still just scratching the surface of how this technology can help people,” he said.
Some customers praise the $149 lamp for alleviating eye strain, preventing migraine attacks and reducing anxiety. Another study from the University of Arizona found that patients who use green light for an hour or two every day, even when they didn’t have symptoms, found that both the frequency and intensity of their attacks decreased by more than 60 percent.
Because it’s 2020, expect there to be plenty more chaos and stress triggering migraines. Having a little “green” to return to a relaxed, peaceful state is worth every penny.