SHAPE

How to Defend Yourself In 5 Potentially Dangerous Situations, According to Experts.

Read the full article at shape.com.

For most female entrepreneurs, launching a product –– the cumulation of months (maybe years) of blood, sweat, and tears –– is an exhilarating moment. But for Quinn Fitzgerald and Sara Dickhaus de Zarraga, that sentiment was decidedly different when their product, Flare, went to market.

"It's terrible that this product has to exist," says Dickhaus de Zarraga. "We hate that we're at this point."

Flare, created by the duo, both Harvard Business School grads, in 2016, is a discreet "bracelet" (Buy It, $129, getflare.com) designed to help people exit unsafe or uncomfortable situations. The wearer presses a hidden button on the bracelet's interior, alerting a list of pre-chosen contacts (or the police) of their location. The bracelet can also send out a fake phone call to the wearer's phone for a quick excuse to exit an iffy situation. (All of this can be configured in their app.)

The pair, who are both victims of sexual assault, say they created Flare because most self-defense devices at the time were made by men. "In the past, the only tools to protect yourself were a whistle or personal alarm to make noise, pepper spray, a weapon to harm the other person, or a call for help," explains Dickhaus de Zarraga. "And, depending on your identity, or if you are a person of color, [those options] can put you in more danger."