A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Penn State Harrisburg kinesiology student, Erin Godfrey partnered with her husband — a law enforcement officer and defensive tactics instructor — to launch Joy Tac LLC, a company focused on developing a safer, more responsive firearm holster better aligned with modern training needs. Joy Tac recently won first place and $15,000 in the 2025 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As officer training continues to evolve, Penn State Harrisburg student Erin Godfrey saw an opportunity to improve the equipment designed to support it. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and kinesiology student, Godfrey partnered with her husband — a law enforcement officer and defensive tactics instructor — to launch Joy Tac LLC, a company focused on developing a safer, more responsive firearm holster better aligned with modern training needs.
Joy Tac recently won first place and $15,000 in the 2025 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition.
“All officers, no matter what call they respond to, have a deadly weapon present because they carry one,” Godfrey said. “Over the past decade, there’s been a push to use hands more than weapons, but current equipment hasn’t adapted to support this training. Today’s holsters slow draw speed and aren’t as safe as they could be. We thought, if no one else is going to make it safer, we will.”
Using body cam footage and body positioning analysis, Godfrey developed the Singular Press Angular Retention (SPAR) system to replace traditional mechanical retention found in firearm holsters.
She compares firearm retention to multi-factor authentication: Traditional holsters require overcoming security mechanisms such as buttons and hoods one at a time, like logging into a system with multiple steps. In contrast, Joy Tac’s SPAR system allows users to bypass all mechanisms simultaneously — akin to entering multiple passwords at once — providing the same level of security with faster access.
“Everyone, from business mentors to fellow participants, was incredibly supportive,” Godfrey said. “Penn State prides itself on being a community, and it truly follows through on that.”
She credited Amma Johnson, director of the Penn State Harrisburg Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who also oversees the Harrisburg LaunchBox powered by Penn State, for extensive support in refining her presentation prior to the pitch competition. Alum and entrepreneur-in-residence Haley McClain Hill also helped Godfrey simplify and clarify her product’s explanation, drawing from her experience mentoring Godfrey in a veteran pitch competition at Penn State Harrisburg.
“The Invent Penn State LaunchBox & Innovation Network as a whole has been amazing,” Godfrey said. “I was pleasantly surprised by how open and supportive everyone was. I encourage other Commonwealth Campus students to tap into the full Penn State network — if your campus doesn’t have the resources you need, another one will. It truly is ‘One Penn State,’ and the resources available are staggering.”
Beyond the Inc.U Competition, Joy Tac is working with Penn State's OriginLabs, located at the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub in downtown State College, to finalize its prototype and develop the final version of the holster. Godfrey said the $15,000 prize will go toward completing product development and covering patent and legal fees.
“My advice to anyone with a business idea is to just go for it,” she said. “We thought we needed a perfect product before showing it to anyone, but the sooner you explore the help available, the better you can build and refine your idea.”
About Invent Penn State
Invent Penn State is a commonwealth-wide initiative to spur economic development, job creation and student career success. Invent Penn State blends entrepreneurship-focused academic programs, business startup training and incubation, funding for commercialization, and university/community/industry collaborations to facilitate the challenging process of turning research discoveries into valuable products and services that can benefit Pennsylvanians and humankind. Subscribe to the Invent Penn State monthly e-letter and follow Invent Penn State on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Invent Penn State is financed in part by a grant from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development.
