Keenoa aims to transform Dietetics Practice
It’s one more feather in the cap for Keenoa co-founders, Registered Dietitian and PhD candidate ANNE-JULIE TESSIER, BSc(NutrSc)’16 (right), ANTONY GARANT, and business partner ANGEL ONG, RD, BSc(NutrSc)’09, MSc’11, PhD Candidate in the School of Human Nutrition. Not only was Keenoa a finalist in McGill’s 2017 Dobson Cup (Innovation Track) Competition, but Anne-Julie won the “Sight and Life Elevator Pitch” competition at the recent American Society of Nutrition conference. The theme of the entrepreneurial competition was disruptive ideas to stimulate networks and dialogue, especially among innovators, to improve existing approaches to measure nutrition. We sat down with Anne-Julie late last spring to learn more about Keenoa and to test drive the app.
What is Keenoa?
Keenoa is an intelligent online food diary intended to improve communication and the quality of information gathered and shared between a client and their dietitian.
Where did the idea come from?
After spending some time in private practice, I felt that there had to be more that dietitians could do to be more effective and maximize their impact on the health of the population. I found that much of my time with clients was spent talking about what they were eating, leaving little time to work on problem solving and improving their health through dietary modifications.
I had this seed of an idea and just so happened to have a very keen software engineer Anthony Garant as a partner. We took this idea of an intelligent food diary to a hackathon at Harvard University where we coded for 48 hours straight. The feedback that we received from the judges, including representatives from Microsoft, was phenomenal – and we decided then and there to develop a prototype with a mobile application.
What is the platform based on?
The app is based on the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF), which is typically used in research settings. The CNF contains about 5,000 food items that are typically eaten in Canada, and we are working to incorporate other food databases from around the world.
How does the interface work?
Clients take a snapshot of what they are eating through a mobile app. The app recognizes food items from the picture and then asks the client a series of questions aimed at refining details.
In our test, the app quickly recognized my cup of coffee with milk, then asked questions related to the type of brew, to select serving size, and to provide details from a pick list on sweeteners and the type of milk that was used. I can also provide information on how I am feeling when I eat (low energy needed a boost), as well as details about where I am eating this meal (at my desk, no time for lunch).
On the other end of the app, my dietitian can see all of the details of my meals, what I consumed, when, the nutrient profile of what I am eating, even the psychological state I was in when I was eating (if I have provided this information). Based on this, my dietitian can now communicate with me through the app (“you are drinking too much coffee”), and offer words of encouragement and sound nutritional advice.
What kind of feedback have you had?
As soon as dietitians see our product, they are on board. They are astounded by the amount of information they receive and the potential they have to improve health outcomes and prevent disease. The most common thing we hear from clients is that the product is fun to use; and many of our older clients tell us that they feel somewhat “hip” using the app.
What’s next?
We are thrilled to have been selected to participate in the 10-week 2018 McGill X-1 Accelerator program run by the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship to help us scale up our operations.
Want to learn more? Visit www.keenoa.co