Westchesterites Raising Money on Kickstarter

Larchmont resident Hema Nambiar, 47, underwent two major surgeries for a ruptured diaphragm and a collapsed lung, then spent five years recuperating before gaining enough strength to train for and participate in a half-marathon. Soon after she crossed the finish line on that chilly April morning in 2009, a product — and business — was born. Upon completing the 13.1 miles, Nambiar and the other runners were wrapped in Heatsheets silver blankets. “I thought what a great product this is, so light yet functional.” Nambiar decided that everyone, not just marathon runners, should experience the lightweight warmth. Following a successful $10K Kickstarter campaign, she developed the “Everest” jacket, incorporating the same NASA technology designed to protect astronauts from extreme temperatures. The jacket, which has a 100 percent polyester shell, will range from $120 to $175 and be available in early April from Nambiar’s aptly named company, 13-ONE (www.13-one.com), a partner with the Space Foundation and Heatsheets.

Kickstarter worked like a charm for Everest jacket developer Hema Nambiar of Larchmont, but she’s not the only Westchesterite with a dog in the hunt. Here’s a sampling of other local crowdfunding hopefuls:

• Granite Springs’ Jacqueline Irizarry Levat is looking to raise $5K for Our Farm Equine Rescue, which strives to save horses from kill and feed lots. 

• Montrose resident Justin Carter would like to raise $1,000 for Paranormal Interventions, his Westchester-based company that explores local paranormal phenomena. Carter is also looking to augment his team, so who knows? Maybe it’ll open up a whole new portal for you! 

• Yonkers native William Dickerson is off to a good start with his $50,000 campaign for the indie flick No Alternative, a film about mental illness that stars Harry Hamlin (L.A. Law, Mad Men) and Kathryn Erbe (Law & Order: Criminal Intent).

RELATED: Yonkers on the Big Screen in ‘No Alternative’