The Story Behind the Brand

Emily Imblum was a college student when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2010. Almost immediately, she found herself doing what so many people with diabetes do — trying to hide her insulin pump. Tucking it away. Wearing certain clothes to cover it. Wishing it didn't have to be such a visible reminder of something she hadn't chosen.

"What if managing your blood sugar could look this good? That question was the seed for everything we've built at Pump Peelz."

That frustration became a question, and that question became a company. In 2011, Emily teamed up with Scott — her boyfriend at the time, now her husband — to create something that didn't exist yet: a line of decorative, beautifully designed patches and accessories made specifically for insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors.

They weren't medical professionals. They were a couple who understood, from lived experience, what it felt like to wish your medical device looked a little more like you. Emily brought her background in professional photography and her BS in Graphics and Multimedia from California University of Pennsylvania. Scott brought his expertise in operations and business development. And together they built Pump Peelz from the ground up, starting with a small collection and growing it into the brand it is today.

What It Means to Build From the Inside

The thing that sets Emily apart from most founders in the medical accessories space is simple: she's not designing for a customer she's imagined. She's designing for herself — and for everyone who shares her daily reality of living with a chronic illness while trying to feel normal, confident, and self-expressed.

Every product decision at Pump Peelz is filtered through that lens. Does this design actually work for someone who wears a CGM on their arm 24 hours a day? Does this adhesive hold up through a real workout, not just a lab test? Does this pattern make someone smile when they glance at their arm, instead of wishing they could hide what's there?

Emily wears the devices. She tests the patches. She knows what it feels like when a sensor starts peeling at the gym, or when a design makes a kid in school feel less different and more interesting. That first-hand experience isn't a marketing angle — it's the foundation of how every product gets made.

14 Years of Living With CGMs and Insulin Pumps

Since her diagnosis in 2010, Emily has lived through the evolution of continuous glucose monitoring technology — from early, bulky sensors to the streamlined Dexcom G7 and the first over-the-counter CGM, the Dexcom Stelo. She's worn them all, adapted to each new device, and built products around the real experience of keeping sensors on through workouts, showers, beach days, and everything else real life throws at you.

That depth of personal experience means her writing and product perspective carry something that can't be manufactured: genuine authority. When Emily writes about how to keep a CGM on through a swim meet, or what it's like to explain your insulin pump to someone who's never seen one, she's not researching a topic — she's describing her actual life.

Education & Background

Emily holds a Bachelor of Science in Graphics and Multimedia from California University of Pennsylvania. Before launching Pump Peelz full-time, she ran her own professional photography business — a background that directly informs how Pump Peelz approaches design, visual identity, and product aesthetics. She represents Pump Peelz at trade shows and conferences, manages content and marketing, and leads product design and creative direction for the brand.

Articles by Emily