health

Handleman
Grant Furthers
Research Into
Alzheimer’s

A True Blessing

Just Nips gives women, including breast cancer survivors, a perky plus.

JUDY GREENWALD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

t’s not an ordinary business, to say
the least. It’s part of an industry
almost synonymous with women:
fashion. It’s the brainchild of business-
woman Molly Borman, 28, great-grand-
daughter of Borman’s Food Stores co-
founder Abraham Borman.
What began as a company designed
to let women celebrate their femininity
with a fun, exciting and perky look has
become an important part of the after-
math of one of the most devastating dis-
eases women face: breast cancer.
Just Nips is a fake nipple company the
Birmingham resident first conceived
of in October 2016 and, with a lot of
research, hard work and trial-and-error
efforts, launched in January 2017.
“I was lucky to grow up in a family of
entrepreneurs, which absolutely was a
factor in my desire to start my own com-
pany,” said Borman, whose parents are
Hilary Wolf Borman and Stuart Borman.
“When I started Just Nips, I wanted to
make a product that fuses both fashion
and function. I didn’t know the first
thing about starting a business, so I did
what I knew how to do — network at
home. I used my Detroit connections to
find local lawyers, engineers and manu-
facturers to make my dream a reality.”
After studying English and education
at the University of Michigan and using
her writing talents during a five-year
career as a copywriter in Ralph Lauren’s
ecommerce department, Borman fol-
lowed that dream to start her own
fashion line of fake nipples. She brings
fun and empowerment to her company,
promoting “Liberty and Just Nips for
All,” and letting women know they can
“Look Cold and Feel Hot” (both phrases
prominently featured on the product’s
packaging).
“Just Nips was a fashion company, not
a breast cancer company,” the entrepre-
neur explained, “but after going viral in
the New York Post, women in the breast
cancer community heard about our
product and wanted to know if we used
medical-grade adhesives and if Just Nips
were safe to use over incisions and mas-
tectomy scars.
“The truth is — I had no idea! I spoke
with breast cancer survivors about how
we could best support their needs and
revamped the company around our
findings. I worked with a local Michigan
medical engineer to create a safe, com-
fortable option for all women. It was the
best business decision I ever made.
“The first Just Nips prototype was a
pencil eraser!” Borman continued. “I

Molly Borman,
founder of
Just Nips

loved the weight and consistency of
the rubber, but it was a nightmare to
produce. I tested many different materi-
als when developing our first product,
from metal to Mardi Gras beads. We
settled on a lightweight and hollow soft
plastic that looks great under a T-shirt
and is comfortable to wear for extended
amounts of time.”
Borman explained the stick-on nipples
are latex- and GMO-free, and are guar-
anteed safe for skin, so they can be worn
all day or night. They can be worn by
themselves or under or over bras and
bralettes.

DONATING TO
CANCER SURVIVORS

According to Borman, her product has
become the leading breast cancer pros-
thetic nipple on the market. She noted
Just Nips has a breast cancer donation
program where the company matches
sales of every order with product going
directly to women who have lost their
nipples due to breast cancer treatment.
Her company works with cancer centers,
chemotherapy facilities and support
groups to facilitate donation of her prod-
uct.
“We’re so lucky to be able to reach so
many women through our donation pro-
gram,” she said. “As our product gained
publicity, women from all over the world
shared their stories about post-mas-
tectomy life without nipples. Instead of
directing them to our shop page, I asked

for their mailing addresses and shipped
samples free of charge. We’ve success-
fully donated more than 1,000 Just Nips
fake nipples to breast cancer associa-
tions and women in need across the
country. And soon, each box of Just Nips
will have self-check breast exam instruc-
tions printed on the inside.”
This caring for those recovering from
cancer extends beyond just a company
ethic — it’s part of Borman’s personal
life as well. As part of her Just Niptuals-
themed September wedding, Borman
gave away fake nipples to wedding
guests and donated to women in the
breast cancer community in honor of
her celebration. During October, the
company’s Instagram @JustNipsForAll
will have daily updates coinciding with
National Breast Cancer Awareness
month.
“Giving back to the community is one
of the most important parts of our busi-
ness and such a strong Jewish value I’m
proud to incorporate into my everyday
life. Women reach out all the time and
tell us how Just Nips have helped make
them feel whole again. We’re very proud
and honored to be able to support and
help women on their journey, making
real products for real women to make
them feel good and look good.” •

Just Nips cost $9.99 a pair and come in many
different shapes and sizes. For details, visit www.
justnipsforall.com.

A

lzheimer’s disease research
at the University of Michigan
Program for Neurology
Research and Discovery (PNR&D)
received a significant boost Sept. 21
in the form of a $150,000 gift from
Charlene Handleman of Bloomfield
Hills. This contribution will create the
Handleman Emerging Scholar, which
will support a PNR&D junior faculty
member investigating Alzheimer’s
disease.
“I am immensely appreciative of
Charlene’s continued support of the
work being accomplished in my labo-
ratory,” said Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.,
the Russell N. DeJong Professor of
Neurology and PNR&D Director. “This
will ensure that our program attracts
elite scientists who are conducting
groundbreaking Alzheimer’s research.”
At the PNR&D, stem cell research in
Alzheimer’s disease is led by Assistant
Professor of Neurology Lisa McGinley,
Ph.D., who will be the inaugural
Handleman Emerging Scholar. Recent
data demonstrate transplanted neural
stem cells greatly increase brain func-
tion in Alzheimer’s disease models
by improving memory and learning
ability.
“It is an honor for me to support
the life-changing Alzheimer’s research
taking place in Dr. Feldman’s labora-
tory,” Handleman said. “I have had
the pleasure of learning about Dr.
McGinley’s work, and I came away
inspired by her passion and expertise.”
As a result of the encouraging data,
the National Institute on Aging (NIA)
recently issued a U01 grant to the
PNR&D in the amount of $3 million
over three years. The funding will be
instrumental in the continued devel-
opment of stem cell therapies, with
the long-term goal being the creation
of a human clinical trial.
“Obtaining this grant is a credit to
the significant preliminary research
conducted by Dr. Lisa McGinley,”
Feldman said. “It is truly remark-
able to watch what the healthy stem
cells can do to improve cognition in
Alzheimer’s disease models. We are
very fortunate to receive additional
funding from the NIA as I believe we
are on the precipice of making an
immense impact on the Alzheimer’s
population.”
Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth-
leading cause of death in the U.S.
More than 5.7 million Americans
have Alzheimer’s disease, which is
the primary cause of dementia in the
country. This number is projected to
reach 14 million Americans by 2050.
The national cost of caring for the
Alzheimer’s population is currently
estimated to be more than $277 bil-
lion for 2018. By 2050, these costs
could reach $1.1 trillion. •

jn

September 27 • 2018

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