Student Spotlight
In a classroom at Westfield High School, student-athletes Olivia Bates and Sam Foster transformed a routine assignment into a business opportunity. Their real-life struggle with existing bandages sparked the development of VitaFlex+, earning them top honors at the Westfield Innovation Competition.
Bates and Foster credit a class for introducing them to entrepreneurship and spurring their curiosity into action.
“It’s our favorite class,” Bates says.
It showed them that everyday problems are opportunities, a mindset that led to their breakthrough idea.
That idea was born courtside. During a volleyball tournament, Bates found herself repeatedly dealing with a frustrating issue: a patch of warts on her knee that, despite careful coverage, would reopen midgame. Each time, she was forced to step away and seek help from an athletic trainer, losing valuable playing time. Instead of accepting it as part of the game, Bates and Foster saw a gap in the market.
VitaFlex+ is an “amplified bandage” designed for athletes who need reliable coverage during activity. It combines high-grade, hypoallergenic, PFAS-free kinesiology tape with nonadherent gauze, offering secure, flexible protection that stays put during intense play, reduces irritation and helps wounds heal without sticking to injuries.
“We wanted something that would actually stay on,” Foster says. “So athletes can focus on their performance instead of worrying about their injuries.”
Early validation came in an unexpected way. While still in development, an athletic trainer discovered VitaFlex+ on TikTok and reached out directly, expressing enthusiasm and asking when it would be available.
For Bates and Foster, that moment signaled real potential.
“It was so cool to see that medical professionals were interested in what we were creating,” Bates says.
Over the past year, VitaFlex+ has evolved through research, trial and error, and collaboration with health care professionals. Today’s prototype includes features like a butterfly-shaped cut, paper backing and nonadherent gauze, all designed for athletes.
Behind the scenes, the pair has divided responsibilities to keep the business moving forward. Bates focuses on financials, manufacturing logistics and communications, while Foster leads marketing and creative strategy. Despite their distinct roles, they say collaboration remains key, especially when tackling major projects.
Like many startups, one of their biggest challenges has been manufacturing. Producing the product by hand proved time-consuming and difficult to keep sanitary, prompting plans to partner with a manufacturing company using their competition winnings.
Throughout their journey, mentorship has played a pivotal role. Their teacher, John Moore, has guided them in developing a growth mindset, while mentor Melissa Dicke, president of Elite Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, has connected them with industry professionals who helped refine the product.
Winning the innovation competition was a defining moment. Standing before a room of supportive business leaders, holding an oversized check, the reality of their accomplishment set in.
“It felt surreal,” Bates says. “To have people believe in our product and want us to succeed meant everything.”
Their vision for VitaFlex+ centers on meeting athletes’ needs and scaling the business. Bates and Foster plan to secure manufacturing, connect with investors, partner with female athletes and launch the product to market by summer.
For two high school students, the future of VitaFlex+ is already taking shape, not just as a class project, but as a business with real impact.
