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WestConn Student Looks To Change The Way We Charge

DANBURY, Conn. – Struggling to find outlets for charging smartphones, tablets and laptops could soon be a thing of the past thanks to Michael Carpanzano, a graduate student at Western Connecticut State University. Carpanzano has created the nuplug, an extension cord that clamps to furniture to allow users to charge their devices while using them.

Michael Carpanzano, a WestConn graduate student, created the nuplug, an extension cord that clamps to furniture for convenient device charging.

Michael Carpanzano, a WestConn graduate student, created the nuplug, an extension cord that clamps to furniture for convenient device charging.

Photo Credit: Nuplug

He won first place in the personal business model category in a contest hosted by the Entrepreneurship Foundation with his patented nuplug and plans to turn his idea into a marketable product, he said.

“I was cautiously optimistic about the competition,” Carpanzano said. “It was really the first time I had been in any sort of competition like this.”

He beat nine other finalists to win the top spot.

Carpanzano, originally from Sherman, is in his final semester of WestConn’s MBA program and said he hopes to see the nuplug in households across the country and beyond.

“It’s a very simple product,” he said. “It's basically just an extension cord that clamps or attaches to furniture to make smart device charging more convenient."

Carpanzano is no stranger to business and owns Sherman Building Design, a residential construction contracting firm, according to a press release from WestConn. The nuplug is needed in our world of ever-increasing technology use, he said.

“It’s just designed to give you power within reach so you can comfortable enjoy the use of your device while charging it simultaneously,” he said.

To move forward with the project, Carpanzano said he has met with marketing consultants and plans to launch a website and Kickstarter profile, which solicits donation online. He is set to graduate from WestConn this spring.

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