On paper, they’re from different worlds. He has a degree in political science. She has a bachelor’s in integrative biology. But Kendall Brooks and Ciara Johnson had one thing in common — a passion for business that led them to join Illinois Business Consulting at Gies College of Business. And now they also share a fledgling startup that’s already earning awards.

In October, the two entrepreneurs won the AWARE (Accelerating Women and Underrepresented Entrepreneurs) Prize from the University of Illinois Research Park. The honor was for their invention, Glide — an innovative wearable device that gives runners, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts a reliable way to contact emergency help when their primary devices fail. Basically, it’s an “OnStar” button for humans.