Living – even for a short time – along the shores of Lake Superior would likely prove inspirational for a tech entrepreneur passionate about water purity.
Or perhaps inspiration came from growing up in a country where the geography is dominated by the Arabian Desert and water is less plentiful.
Both landscapes have influenced Dr. Rehab (Ruby) Alhajjar, who grew up in Saudi Arabia and holds a doctorate in biological sciences, specializing in water microbiology and nanotechnology, from Michigan Technological University in Houghton.
Alhajjar, the founder of a startup specializing in detecting contamination in drinking water and beverages in real time, will tell you the genesis of her water-bound journey began in childhood. She has long been obsessed with small things, ever since the microscopic organisms of a virus infected her as a child.
“Ever since I was a child, small things grabbed my attention,” Alhajjar recalls. “One time I was playing in the soil and got sick. I was taken to the hospital and the doctor said I had a virus – there were microorganisms that I could not see with my own eyes. I remember thinking, ‘I am going to study this when I grow up.’”
She chose Michigan Technology University for her doctorate after learning about the Houghton institution on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. There, she found out about MTU professors doing significant research on water microbes. Learning Michigan Tech was situated on one of the Great Lakes and located in a state surrounded by others, Alhajjar “packed my stuff and just moved there.”
![]()
FlowShield-NanoA prototype of the monitoring device Alhajjar has developed to test for water contamintants in real time.Her education, coupled with years of expertise in her field, culminated in the creation of FlowShield-Nano, a company she independently owns. Based in Houghton, the company has introduced a prototype of a device that can identify contaminants in water and beverages in real time.
“We’re in the early stages of development,” Alhajjar says.
Such an innovation holds great importance in a state surrounded by and influenced by fresh water and one that was the home of public drinking water contamination that made headlines across the country.
Alhajjar’s device holds great potential for maintaining the quality of public and private drinking water sources and for beverage product makers. It is believed to be the first device of its kind, able to monitor in real time.
“These companies need to test in real time. They need to have results in their records. They also want to know about a contaminant before it is sent to a customer,” Alhajjar explains. “It’s too late when it goes to the customer.”
Her entrepreneurial efforts received a big boost recently, thanks to her participation in Global Detroit’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) program. That program, launched in 2019 in partnership with the University of Michigan, provides a pathway for immigrant entrepreneurs like Alhajjar to launch and grow their startups in the United States, offering part-time university roles with uncapped H-1B visa employment.
For many immigrant entrepreneurs, being able to stay in the United States after earning their degrees is an issue because of complex visa restrictions
.
“We created a pathway for her to continue her work on her startup while being able to stay in the U.S.,” says Steve Tobocman, who is executive director of Global Detroit, a regional community and economic development organization. Global Detroit is among the 25 members of the Michigan Global Talent Coalition.
The coalition was formed to advocate for the Michigan Global Talent Initiative, a comprehensive immigrant talent inclusion strategy for Michigan’s Sixty by 30 workforce development program. The aim of that program is to upskill the state’s workforce – so that 60 percent of all workers have a post-secondary degree or professional certification/credential by 2030. That program is common in other states, but Michigan is the first to develop a comprehensive strategy to include immigrants in the equation. The goal is to add 100,000 to 125,000 immigrant workers – who meet the educational or professional certification criteria – to the workforce by 2030. That amounts to about 25 percent of the Sixty by 30 goal.
Alhajjar was recently awarded the Emerging Talent award for her outstanding contributions and entrepreneurial achievements through the entrepreneurial program. Being part of the program, she notes, was pivotal to her professional growth. It also allowed her to expand her company and build meaningful connections.
“We love to support businesses that have a profound connection to our state and our state’s economy,” Tobocman says. “I think with some of the issues we’ve had with water and the importance of water in so many industries, her technology stood out. We are the Great Lakes State and clean water is the core of our DNA and that was very exciting to us.”
In recognizing Alhajjar last month, officials noted her monitoring device was a “particularly important innovation for the state, and our drinking water.” With more than 14 years of expertise in water microbiology and nanotechnology, Alhajjar “transformed her academic background into a thriving business, pioneering solutions for sustainable water safety – and she’s brought this ingenuity to Michigan.”
One of the aims of bolstering any start-up eco system – no matter which industry – is to broaden access, Tobocman says. Looking at venture capital and who typically receives funding, only 2 percent by dollar volume makes its way to women, he notes. That percentage is also marginal for African Americans and Latinos.
Alhajjar’s journey exemplifies the program’s impact on supporting diverse entrepreneurs by helping them overcome challenges and create meaningful solutions.
"She represents a pathway to the important work we are doing … connecting our state’s education system to the international education system,” Tobocman notes. “Increasing the number of international students in Michigan is an economic driver for our state.”
For Alhajjar, the award and her involvement with the entrepreneurial program placed her and her company in the spotlight, highlighting her work.
“And now people know about my work and the need for funding and for investors,” she says. “It has spread awareness of water contamination … that is my message in life … that is what I’m doing all my life. Water affects people’s lives and health.”
Going into the new year, Alhajjar and her company plan to pursue various grants, awards, and local funding opportunities to advance prototype development. The company also will focus on product development and market validation.
“We have a working prototype, a very simple prototype to see if the concept is really working. It’s really giving us a good result” she says. “Our next goal is to do a reliable prototype of a device for the market. We need more funding to create a viable prototype to take it to the next stage and start selling.”
Revenue generation is anticipated to be two- to three-years down the road, with job creation – perhaps five to seven positions – in research and development, sales and customer support coming over the next three years.
The Global EIR program, Houghton, and the Upper Peninsula have proven to be an ideal environment for Alhajjar, her innovative pursuits and her company.
“It’s really kind of a peaceful place to focus on what you do,” she says. “When you’re studying, there is not so much distraction here. I can meditate and think about the process. It’s also a small community, and you can go and ask people. Everyone knows each other and are willing to help. That’s a big advantage for me.”
To learn more, visit the Michigan Global Talent Initiative website at michiganglobaltalent.org.