Wingman life vest wins Biz Plan Award

A thin, technology enhanced life vest was the winning concept at the 2016 Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

Scheduled to hit the market this summer, “Wingman,” created by the owners of Hyde, a Milwaukee-based outdoor sporting goods firm, fits over the upper torso but doesn’t inflate until the wearer pulls a ripcord to fill the bladder with air, making it buoyant.

The life vest has attracted over $75,000 in preorders so far.