Alina Kravchenko was in a difficult situation when she first had the idea for SwipenSnap. It was 2009, Alina was pregnant, and the economy had collapsed. Even as a graduate of Pratt Institute, she had been unable to find work in her chosen field. During her pregnancy, she worked three jobs just to make ends meet.
Alina had always wanted to be an inventor and she had a journal filled with various product ideas. After her son was born, she experienced the same dilemma that most new parents face. How do I keep one hand on my child so he doesn’t roll off the changing table, and at the same time get his diaper off, clean him up, apply powder or diaper cream and put on a clean diaper?
Pondering over this common dilemma, Alina says she had a complete image in her mind’s eye of a soft and flexible applicator that would connect to the tube of diaper cream and a suction cup lid that the tube could snap into for storage. She knew the importance of having a patent, but she didn’t have any money to hire a patent attorney, or know how to obtain one herself. She gathered up her courage and called the patent office. A very helpful woman there suggested she read “How to Patent It Yourself.” It took five years, but eventually Alina was awarded a utility patent for her One Hand Diaper Cream Applicator, which she decided to call SwipenSnap.
By this time, Alina had found full time work, but she was determined to bring her product to market, so she moved back home with her mother and began devoting all her energy to her invention. Working under the umbrella name of Better Way Goods, LLC, Alina got a start-up loan of $10,000 through Kiva, funded by 95 supporters. Initial sales of SwipenSnap were through the website and on Amazon. On November 16, 2019, Alina was excited to announce on her Facebook page that her new invention earned Amazon’s Choice after just one week on the site.
The SwipenSnap is made from very soft, BPA-free plastic and is easy to clean. Using it makes it possible to have one hand free to assure the safety of the child, and apply the diaper cream without creating a mess.
Alina has other inventions, including the patented “TonerBum,” a redesigned cooler system (patent pending) and is working on a new product in the beauty/makeup arena.
