When Noah rang the bell at UVA Children’s Hospital, marking the end of his treatment, there was a painting of a rocket ship on the wall. During the long days of chemo, we often talked about space — a topic that fascinated him.

In March 2020, while thinking about a name for the company, those conversations came back to me. I started researching words connected to space and came across luminosity, the total amount of light or energy emitted by a star. It captured everything we wanted Luminoah to represent: light, hope, and possibility.

That’s when it clicked. Luminosity plus Noah — Luminoah. A company built to create a brighter future for tube feeding.

I was sitting in my home office during the early days of COVID when I turned to my wife, Val, and asked what she thought of the name. She said she loved it. Within minutes, I registered the domain and formed the company.

The rocket ship became our symbol. Each year, we choose a theme to reflect our growth, and after closing our Series A, that theme was Rocketmode — a reminder of our drive and momentum as we move forward.

Years later, I couldn’t stop thinking about that original rocket ship painting at UVA. I found the artist, Keely Rodriguez, and shared our story. Within a day, she replied and offered to create a custom rocket ship painting for Luminoah.

Six months later, I picked it up, and it now hangs proudly in the center of our office.

It’s more than a painting. It’s a reminder of where we started, what drives us, and why we’re here — to make life brighter and better for everyone who depends on tube feeding.

I’m grateful to the Luminoah team and our partners for bringing this mission to life every day. Together, we’re building that brighter future — and getting closer to it each day.

Neal Piper

Founder & CEO | Luminoah