Category: Celebration of Black Innovators

Rochelle Alikay Graham-Campbell is CEO and Founder of Alikay Naturals, a beauty & lifestyle brand. The company’s mission is to be a leader in providing quality products and services that promotes education and healthy beauty practices, raise awareness of natural ingredients and support underserved communities.

Ms. Graham-Campbell’s Story

Long before founders Rochelle Alikay Graham-Campbell and Demond Campbell were young college students producing formulas and business strategies for Alikay Naturals™ in their kitchen, they were Black hair care consumers.

Using the knowledge of the benefits of natural ingredients that Rochelle learned from her herbalist YaYa in the Caribbean, Rochelle began to formulate products that addressed the needs of her tightly coiled hair as well as her skin care needs.

Containing no petroleum, mineral oil, alcohol, parabens, sulfate or silicone, Alikay Naturals™ products use the healing properties found in natural & organic ingredients to nourish and replenish moisture from inside out.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work:
At the start of Rochelle’s natural hair journey, she cut her damaged hair and began the search for natural products. During her search, she learned that most of the products on the market contained harsh chemicals. The natural products were expensive and the affordable products were harmful. Also, Rochelle didn’t see anything that catered specifically to women with kinky hair, only textures with looser curls. So she decided to create her own products to achieve healthy hair goals, which were inspired by her Jamaican roots.

Their first product was the Essential 17 Hair Growth Oil. Rochelle created the product for herself, but her followers noticed a healthy change and growth in her hair and immediately wanted to buy Essential 17. They began by making only a few batches, and the demand grew, thus starting the Alikay Naturals brand.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?:
Proud! What were doing is more than just creating hair products. Black Onyx World LLC produces a lifestyle for the mind, body, and soul. Rochelle was coined a pioneer in the industry because she founded a solution for people who were once considered an afterthought.

Keenan Beasley is the founder of Venture Noire. This non-profit mentors and develops underprivileged diverse entrepreneurs and provides them with access to capital.

Mr. Beasley’s Story

Today, only around 1% of venture capital dollars goes to entrepreneurs of color. Coupled with discriminatory lending practices and institutional bias, America has undercut over 1 million minority-owned businesses totaling over 9 million potential jobs and $300 billion in collective national income. Venture Noire seeks to correct this disparity by facilitating projects with public and private markets that tackle minority workforce creation and development. One way we achieve this is by providing grants and gifts in kind to startups within the program which act as a Friends and Family-sized investments. This allows these startups to test their service or products in the marketplace and achieve the crucial MVP (minimal viable product) and use-case that many Venture Capitalists look for when deciding whether or not to invest. Since launching, the organization has facilitated the distribution of nearly $180,000 in non-dilutive capital. As we look ahead to 2021, Venture Noire is currently seeking to raise $5M to expand our scope and launch additional programs to continue to attack this crucial mission.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work:
“We believe the world needs new institutions and thinking to unlock the chains of generational poverty. Income inequality is a global crisis that has been expanded upon through systemic racism and more recently the impacts of COVID-19. Venture Noire identifies global and regional problems, conducts research on potential solutions, and executes those solutions in the form of tangible projects and managed cohorts A driving factor behind Venture Noire is our mission to help close the Racial Wealth Gap in America. One of the fastest, most effective ways to do that is through business creation. By supporting these early stage, diverse entrepreneurs we’re helping to level the playing field and create additional opportunities for the Black community to close the wealth gap.”

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?:
My family circle is very supportive and proud. Recognition like this is as much theirs as it is mine. Being an entrepreneur and non profit leader is a job of passion. I’m thankful that my circle understands and shares my passion.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader:
Like many company leaders, COVID provided very unique challenges. My main goal was to protect the business and our employees. When you’re working from home there is no stopping point – no set time to “leave the office.” So my biggest challenge was preventing fatigue and burn out. I did this by creating boundaries for the team and business by setting clear and realistic goals and objectives.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs.
Having access to resources is critical for young Black entrepreneurs. While many businesses in the tech industry might be working towards improving the diversity of their workforces, there are still very few people of colour at the top of companies. In addition to access to capital, Venture Noire provides curriculum and mentorship to a diverse set of over 1,000 Black and minority entrepreneurs. It’s key to create a safe space that allows people to share candid stories without ego or fear. Venture Noire as a non profit is a perfect mechanism for this. Our mentorship is purely based in the desire to help and advance the community and culture forward.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
2020 birthed two organizations that I’m extremely proud of. The first being the creation of Venture Noire as a true minority venture catalyst organization in the minority community. We’ve approached this organization with a common goal and have been humble enough to learn along the journey. The second was the launch of athleisure hair care brand Sunday II Sunday. Launching a brand/company in the middle of a pandemic requires intense fortitude. This business is built off the desire to help women find a balance between their beauty and health goals. It was critical for us to launch despite the hurdles because self care has never been more important. I’m proud to say that we are doing our part to improve the lives of thousands (and one day millions) of people around the country.

Davyeon Ross is co-founder of ShotTracker, a revolutionary sensor-based system that delivers statistics and analytics to teams, fans and broadcast networks instantly, enhancing the experience of the game — both on and off the court.

Mr. Ross’s Story:

I am from Trinidad and Tobago and came to the US on a basketball scholarship to Benedictine College where I played collegiate basketball and studied Computer Science, Math and Business. In 2013 my co-founder and I started ShotTracker. ShotTracker is a sensor based system that tracks statistics and analytics with sub-second latency. Providing data to coaches, players, fans, broadcasters and others.

At ShotTracker we have filed 26 patents of which 17 have been issued. Our solution has been installed in over 70 programs and in 2016 for the first time ever we partnered with the NCAA to deliver electronic data to the bench area in a collegiate basketball game.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
By nature I’m a problem solver and very solution oriented. Influence and inspiration always manifest itself in many different ways. Personally for me, I’m inspired by curiosity and the ability to create and solve complex problems. I’m also inspired by the people I surround myself with. ShotTracker lives at the intersection of sports and technology. An industry that has many hurdles, large established partners who don’t want to be disrupted and an environment that has many technical limitations. My passion for sports, tech and innovation is critical to my line of work.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?
My family, friends and colleagues are always in awe of what we have been able to do at ShotTracker. Those close to me know the struggle and challenges we had to overcome to get to where we are. They also have a strong appreciation for the village that has supported and allowed us to be successful.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader:
I have always seen my most growth as a leader during challenging times. Adversity has been my best teacher. Start ups are incredibly hard and it’s a lot of work. 2020 has been an emotional and stressful year for people and in general, people of color, however, it’s been a great teacher. 2020 provided us with a strong appreciation for others (Team), humility and gratitude that we are here to fight another day and we have a responsibility to the ones who will follow in our path. As I continue to lead my team, I’m humbled at their support and it continues to provide me the necessary stamina to continue executing, pushing and leading.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs:
Daily I have conversations with young entrepreneurs and I’m always willing to share my learnings in the hope they learn from my mistakes. My advice includes, take risk, you don’t score if you don’t shoot, and you can go further together, get a good team.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
Greatest success as it relates to innovation is being the first company to deliver FCC approved resonant charging in a basketball. As you cam imagine, if one is going to put a sensor in a basketball, you either need a large battery which would disrupt the integrity of the basketball or make it rechargeable. Seeing that the sensor is implemented in the ball as part of the manufacturing process, it’s critical to be able to charge over a distance and not utilize traditional methods of charging such as inductive or contact.

Prior to ShotTracker taking on this project, two large public companies attempted this task and failed. However, our amazing ShotTracker team was able to persevere thru the challenges and after 2 years and many long hours, we were one of the first FCC approved resonant charging solutions in the market. We also delivered on a rechargeable ball rack that was the first of its kind.

Chelsea Newton is Assistant Lab Manager at Purafil, Inc.. Purafil engineers and manufactures gas-phase air filtration media, modules, equipment and air monitoring instrumentation. Their focus is to create the world’s best air purification products to make your life and business better.

Ms. Newton’s Story:

What is my innovation story? When I first looked at this statement I had no idea how to answer this. I do not have a PhD, I do not have patents with my name on them, but I do love solving problems and implementing new processes to help daily activities run smoothly. When I first got to my company it was nice, we were small and everybody had their own way of doing things. In 2018 I decided that had to change. I had to realize the lab is my space and I can choose how to run it. It was time for us to up our game, this lead me to single handily having our lab ISO 17025:2017 accredited. Some people my not see this as a big accomplishment or innovative but it’s something I am definitely proud of. Implementing new work procedures and training sessions for our department was the best thing that could have happened. We are more aware or our surroundings and our work. Once that was accomplished, I moved into R&D work with my other colleagues. We found ways to increase gas capacity on our medias, I would spear head 3rd party testing when it came to creating our line of media used for Grow Houses, and I would also be innovating outside of the lab. There were other departments that would need help and simple tasks like having logistics sign out lab orders before removing them from the lab has helped in more ways than one. My innovation story is not about a specific product that I developed but more so on how I can help the company as a whole be more effect and efficient. I communicate with everyone in every department and see what it is that is hindering them from completing certain tasks, especially when it comes to the lab. I want to make processes for other departments run smoothly when they need the lab. This is my story, this is how I help innovate throughout my company.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
Growing up I always loved Science and Math but it wasn’t until high school when I knew for sure my focus would be Chemistry. I transferred schools, due to unforeseen circumstances, my 11th grade year in High School and they placed me in Honors Chemistry because I was moving too fast for the regular chemistry class. My teacher’s name was Mrs. Heusel and she made chemistry so fun and exciting. She was tough but willing to help only if you helped yourself. I loved her class so much that I took AP Chemistry and then went on to further my education in Chemistry. She was the reason I chose Chemistry.
All throughout my colligate and graduate career, people always asked “Being that you’re in chemistry do you want to work in the medical field?” My answer was always “No”. I have so much respect for those individuals in the medical field but I love working in Air Quality. Many of my family members have respiratory issues and knowing that there’s a product that my company manufactures that can help my family, makes me smile and proud to be in the field I’m in. My family is the reason I chose Air Quality.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?
My family doesn’t understand my accomplishments but they are happy and proud of me. I broke generational curses in my family and I hope to continue to break them. My family just wants to see me succeed and if I’m happy with my accomplishments and career goals so are they.

My friends understand me. My closet friends studied chemistry just like me, and even though we are all in different areas of science they are still my biggest fans.

My colleagues must think I’m pretty great because they are the ones that nominated me for this amazing award. They are my second family. We joke and disagree but at the end of the day we praise one another for all we have accomplished. They tell me that my accomplishments are mine but I mostly feel that they are ours because of how helpful everyone is.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader:
Growing as a leader is an everyday thing and everyday I learn something new about being a “leader”. If I had to pick a specific moment in time that made me grow the most as a leader I would have to say it was in March 2020 when the United States shut down because of Covid-19. We’ve had people in our department that wasn’t sure what was going to happen or if their position was even “safe”. I stepped up more than I ever have in my life. I wanted people in my department to know that I am here for them. I did more than just my normal day to day. I learned new skills so that I could help when help was needed else where throughout the company. I feel as though a leader is only a strong as his/her weakest link, I know that sounds cliché but it’s true and I did not want anybody on the team falling short because I couldn’t help or tech them properly.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs:
I have three rules that I live by:
1. Pray
2. Know what you want
3. Allow for criticism

Praying isn’t for everyone and I understand that, but even taking a moment to mediate can help one ease through the day to day activities going on around them. Taking time to breathe and focus a few moments throughout the day can help that person make decisions on situations they thought were impossible.

Knowing what one wants is a great quality to have. In my experience if you know exactly what you want, you will not lose focus on trying to achieve your goal.

Lastly, criticism is the key to growing as a person. Do not take criticism as a negative against you but more of a positive learning experience. I’ve learned that most people who give you criticism are trying to help you become a better you. They see your potential and want you to succeed.

Being a young entrepreneur is hard, you’ll feel like everyone is against you at one point, but never give up. I promise the reward in the end makes it all worth it.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
To date, the project that I am most proud of would be a project I worked on in 2014 for detecting Ricin in Milk and Orange Juice. One of my favorite chemistry professors picked me to help her work on a specific project for Homeland Security. We would work to try and find a suitable procedure for detecting small amounts of Ricin in milk and in orange juice. We were able to reach detection limits below LD50 which is that of a typical adult person using Raman Spectroscopy. This project made me proud because we were able to come up with detection limits that could possible save someone’s life.

Marcus Curry is a college student and developer of WraPicK, a sustainability education catalyst whose goal is to reduce environmental footprint, enhance organic waste diversion, and provide compostable dining solutions.

Mr. Curry’s Story:

Sustainability Works, When We Work Together! In 2018, I was granted the opportunity to complete an internship as a Director of Operations for a thrill park in SC. During this internship, I became aware of the excessive amount of single-use plastics being landfilled & the amount of daily food waste. As the internship ended, I began researching sustainability and really digesting the pillars (Economical, Environmental, Social). As a result, I not only developed a patent pending cutlery kit, but via networking & teams, we have designed and implemented a sustainability initiative called: Project Point of Purchase.

Project Point of Purchase is a sustainability initiative that educates consumers, businesses, and users that the most impactful environmental decision is at the point of purchase and not the point of disposal. So far, we have the City of Clemson, Clemson University and the State of New Jersey that have adopted. Included in Project Point of Purchase is also our Erase Waste Campaign. Erase Waste Campaign is a campaign that primarily focuses on single-use plastic reduction and food waste recovery. Erase waste encourages businesses and users to utilize alternatives such as compostables or reusables and implement a food waste organic waste diversion system.

Thus far we have diverted more than 800 tons of food waste to sift and create an office of sustainability to coordinate various programs. As I am completing my Senior Year at Clemson University (Packaging Science BS), we have launched an Office of Sustainability as a yielded result of all the actions above. Currently these initiatives have been noticed and adopted by organizations at Clemson University, City of Clemson, Merchants, and New Jersey.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
The most significance influence that led to my line of work was my experience in logistics, the Director of Operations, and the passion for sustainability.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?
My family, friends, and colleagues love the accomplishments that we have seen thus far. Experiencing the process from start to now is something people always seem to love to talk about, always ending with action items for the next steps. I am extremely grateful the support group who have been dedicated and committed since day 1.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader
Being a captain of the Clemson University Baseball Team & A Member of Omega Psi Phi, Fraternity, Inc have really contributed to the growth as a leader outside of the upbringing from my mother & father.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs
We have developed a 12 month curriculum that focuses on developing kids from the age of 8 to the age of 18. Through this curriculum a non-profit was formed, Beyond Excellence 356, which is driven by impacting lives through service.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
To date, I believe Project Point of Purchase is one of the greatest achievements because it encompasses the entire umbrella of sustainability. The 3 pillars of sustainability are economical, environmental, and social which allow us to make a positive impact in every aspect of life. Project PoP has goals, clear deliverables, and engagement that allow us to work seamlessly together while being separated. Sustainability Works, When We Work Together!

Ron Billups is Senior Process Engineer at Porex. Porex implements groundbreaking technologies and a depth of expertise to engineer the porous plastic solutions that help bring their customers’ products to life.

Mr. Billups’ Story:

I can truly say that I have always had a thirst for knowledge both professionally and personally. I strive to learn of any new technologies that can have a positive impact on how I perform my job, how the technology will impact our customers’ products, as well how I grow as an individual. It has always fascinated me to learn and create innovative ways of solving technical opportunities.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
I can trace my choice to become an engineer to career talks with my 11th grade Chemistry teacher and guidance counselor. They both encouraged me to investigate engineering as career field due to my love of the sciences and math.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?
My family has always been proud of any accolades I’ve received over the years. They’ve mentioned more than once that my colleagues must truly trust my technical judgement, as I’ve been contacted many times after hours to help with process issues that arise.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader:
By working as the sole process engineer for short periods over my career has forced me to grow and learn all of the processes within the Richmond facility. I believe this has had the greatest impact for me as a technical leader.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs:
Learn as much as you can from experienced colleagues. Their knowledge will be valuable for approaching any problems you may encounter. But also think outside of the box for answers to future questions.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation?
Earlier in my career with Porex, I was assigned process engineering responsibility for one of our most difficult bonded fiber products to make. This product is used in a diagnostic testing machine that detects HIV and Hepatitis in multiple blood samples.

The most significant difficulty in making this product was maintaining the forming tool life.to a maximum of 35 packing units, roughly equivalent to 1.5 days of production. At the completion of the 35 packing units, the tool had to be cleaned, disassembled, and shipped to a local vendor for coating removal and re-application. This exercise cost several hundred dollars per cycle and required having a significant number of backup tools so that we could maintain our customer’s product demand.

Through root cause analysis into the source of the short tool life, I discovered that a significant portion of the failed tooling came from the secondary fiber delivery tool that supplied the fiber into the main forming tool. The transition from the secondary tool to the main tool would slightly damage the fiber due to the high volume of compressed air required to form the product.

By redesigning the secondary tool, we were able to reduce compressed air consumption by three times, while also maintaining product quality. This simple redesign also extended the main tool life from 35 cases/coating to 125 cases/coating, which saved the company tens of thousands of dollars each year in coating costs. It reduced the required number of forming tools needed to maintain customer demand and significantly reduced utility usage.

This secondary tool redesign is one of my proudest accomplishments during my Porex career. It is a true testament that one small change can have a huge impact.

Chris Motley is Founder & CEO of Mentor Spaces. The organization helps high-performing, Black students and young professionals navigate the road to success through mentorship with experienced and influential leaders.

Mr. Motley’s Story:

I recognized that mentorship is the most transformation experience one can have. For underrepresented talent entering the workforce – one of the best tools we can provide is mentorship from corporate employees already in the workforce.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work.:
I was born on the South Side of Chicago to a 13 year old single mother. I was able to navigate my life to an Ivy League University, Goldman Sachs, the Kellogg School of Management, and now as an entrepreneur. My mom was my first mentor and taught me how to communicate with others so that they would want to support my goals. My current business is reflective of the mentorship I’ve received from so many people throughout my life that gave me the confidence and social capital necessary to achieve my goals.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?:
They would say that I’ve always been an entrepreneur since my first business as a barber. They would also say that everything I focus on has always been in service to others.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader.:
Failing. My team and I built a job matching product for underrepresented talent that no one used. We recognized we were solving the wrong problem. I had to make the hard decision to scrap everything we’d done until that point and start from scratch…sacrificing millions of dollars of investment. It also meant that I had to make the tough decision to realign the team through a significant change. Some people chose to leave. It wasn’t until later that it became clear we were better for it. Mentor Spaces was launched in the summer of 2020 amid the global pandemic and was received well by the market.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs.:
I built it in our product Mentor Spaces – which is a technology solution that scales mentorship so that it is neither overbearing or time consuming. The best ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs center around creating a safe space for them to have conversations with those in the know. That is the essence of my company, Mentor Spaces.

Sean Wynn is Co-founder of Cure Crate, a unique wellness experience through best-in-class CBD products delivered monthly. Cure Crate donates a portion of their proceeds to The Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform.

Mr. Wynn’s Story:

Tell us your innovation story: I created a way to effect change in Cannabis criminal justice by providing personalized CBD to people not traditionally spoken to by Cannabis companies. We donate a portion of our proceeds every month to Last Prisoner Project which is just the beginning of our commitment to social justice.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work: I think it was the injustice I have seen on a daily basis in the Cannabis business, especially as it related to the recognizing of black and brown sacrifice and punishment at the hands of unjust laws. The larger influence was to bring natural and personalized wellness to everyone at first through CBD, but the plans are to expand into non CBD products in the coming months.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?: They’re incredibly proud of them. A large part of the reason we started was to help our relatives who often asked us what CBD was and how to acquire the best products, so the success I have found pursuing that path is a welcome development for them.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader: I have always been a leader, but this is the first time that I have had multiple people working for me and it’s been really eye opening and an incredible experience. Understanding that the words I say are just as important as the things I do and that I set the culture of this company has been a growing experience.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs. I started a non profit called Amplified Voices which aims to provide employment opportunities to students from HBCUs specifically in the entertainment industry.

Irewole Akande is Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of City Health Tech. Through user centered design, first class technology, and community engagement, City Health Tech is committed to promoting disease prevention in cities around the world. Their device, OPAL, is their first step to standardize community health education, promote healthy handwashing habits, and collect data to provide valuable insights to help communities live healthier.

Mr. Akande’s Story:

Three years ago, I was attending an IoT conference as an IoT Electronics engineer. Midway through, a young sophomore from Northwestern walked up to me to discuss my expertise in IoT products. After our conversation, he said to me: “95% of people do not wash their hands properly, the correct amount of time to was hands for is 20 seconds with soap, water and the right technique. However, most people only wash for 5 – 7 seconds which means 95% of people are vectors of diseases into their communities.” I thought it was a fascinating problem, so I went home and timed my handwashing. As a Nigerian, handwashing is a huge part of our culture but even with that, I washed for only 12 seconds. With that, I chose to collaborate and dove into the problem, we read a myriad of journals, articles, studies on the impact of handwashing on community health and safety. Our research showed that there are over 1 billion cases of the common cold a year, 48 million food borne illnesses and over 1 million cases of healthcare acquired infections a year. So we set out to do two things: “How might we get people to wash their hands properly?” “How might we show the impact of handwashing on the spread of diseases.” After over a year of designing, iterating and testing, I invented Opal, a connected device that sits beside a faucet, detects a user and then engages them with content for the duration of their handwashing. Subsequently, the device collects duration data and sends it to a cloud server for hygiene analytics insight.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work
Curiosity. I am genuinely curious about how technology can be used to solve existing problems in ways that have never been envisioned before. I don’t believe that the world we are in is the best it can be, and for that reason, I want to use technology to make it better. Building the future of disease prevention technology is the first step in that journey.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?: My family, friends and colleagues are immensely proud and motivated by my achievements. Growing up in Nigeria, it was easy for one write off the impact someone like me would have on the world. But my persistence, drive and excellence has served to show all that know me that it is possible to live far beyond your wildest dreams.

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader: Failure. There is no better teacher than failure. Failure is the immediate feedback loop that evaluates the capacity to achieve one’s goals. In my own case, I was called to lead at a young age and even though I achieved success, I discovered that one who thinks he’s leading but has no one following is merely taking a walk. Failure at leading taught me the importance of galvanizing people’s individual goals to achieve a collective goal.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs. The most important way to mentor young entrepreneurs is by giving them the ability to think differently about problems. The question “WHY?” is too often answered with the words: “That’s just the way it is.” That answer is unacceptable. It breeds mediocrity, stifles imagination and tampers with the very commitment to making our world a better place. I believe the correct response should be, “You have an opportunity to discover, go for it!” By thinking about problems differently, more young entrepreneurs are motivated to discover and solve problems rather than embolden the status quo.

Patrick Pennie is Founder, President & CEO of EmCyte Corporation. After more than 20 years of innovation and development, EmCyte Corporation is widely recognized as the standard bearer of Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma and Progenitor Stem Cell Biologics, with a product portfolio that meets the highest achievable performance outcomes in point of care regenerative medicine.

Mr. Pennie’s Story:

My story starts in 1987 as an open heart critical care registered nurse in New York City where I dedicated myself to caring for military veterans who suffered with heart disease and other associated complications. I performed this work at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, NYC. In addition to this work I have also worked as a field nurse for an agency that deployed investigational medicines for HIV patients. This agency worked in collaboration with research scientists in the development of a treatment for HIV.

After years of clinical service I went on to further my education and clinical experience and was accepted to the inaugural program for extracorporeal cardiopulmonary sciences and perioperative blood management and Barry University in Miami Florida. There I became a certified clinical open heart perfusionist in 1993. This field required a strong clinical and physiological understanding of blood and blood components. I attained my first job as an open heart perfusionist at Lee Memorial Health Park in Fort Myers, Florida shortly after graduating, and it is through this experience I was able to conceive the idea of using a concentrated form of platelet growth factors derived from the patient’s own body to heal diabetic and other types of chronic non-healing wounds.

This extraordinary idea came to me in 1999 after randomly reading about the use of small doses of recombinant growth factors to treat wounds. The recombinant version was expensive and largely abandoned for inefficacy. However, I thought the treatment would be viable if a powerful dose of the growth factors came from the patients own body instead of from a lab. From this concept, I developed one of the first autologous regenerative medical treatments for chronic non healing wounds. This is referred to as activated autologous platelet rich plasma therapies.

The treatment was largely successful. However, it required large machines (autotransfusion machines) to process large amounts of donated blood (350-500mL) from the patient in order to prepare the PRP treatment sample. It had to be done in an inpatient setting because the patient had to be monitored during and after the blood donation and the machines were not portable. After seeing the success of the therapy, I knew physicians would more widely use this therapy if it were a point of care treatment that could be done in a same-day outpatient setting. So in 2000, I developed one of the first tabletop platelet rich plasma processing systems where a physician could effectively treat the patient with a powerful PRP treatment sample from only 60mL of donated blood. This system was called the Secquire Cell Separator and was cleared by the FDA under 510(k) K024080 in 2003.

From there I went on to develop the technology used to prepare point of care platelet rich plasma and have introduced the concept of PURE platelet rich plasma in 2012. This was a new form of PRP that was devoid of harmful contaminants that was until then, a typical part of the PRP formulation. This included inflammatory, glycemic and hemolytic substances. Our PURE PRP devices had technology that was able to remove these substances while maintaining a powerful active ingredient which are the platelet and cytokine content. Today we lead the market with the most effective and powerful form of PRP for clinical application. The system is called the PurePRP SupraPhysiologic Concentrating System.

I have also developed systems for concentrating progenitor stem cells from bone marrow and adipose tissue, along with minimally invasive devices used to collect a purer sample of parenchymal bone marrow.

Describe the most significant influence that led you to your line of work: I have come across this field organically. It was not planned or even imagined early in my career. However, I was inspired by the epiphany of 1999 where my life had changed after reading that one article about recombinant PDGF. This sparked something inside of me as I already felt like I was positioned to take this concept in a completely new direction.

What do your family, friends and colleagues say about your accomplishments?: Most are astounded by my perseverance throughout the years. I have stuck with something that I felt passionate about and was determined to see this to fruition as I knew it was a therapy that could impact the lives of millions of people. It was simple yet very effective, had little down time for active patients and was curative rather than palliative. Most are proud to know or be affiliated with me in some way as they have witnessed the journey..

Tell us about something that made you grow the most as a leader: Humility and compassion are the most important qualities manifested as a leader. The work is still a service to humanity, and if I continue show these qualities I would stay grounded as an advocate for patients. This garners the respect that allow me to be relatable to so many.

Share your ideas for mentoring the professional development of young entrepreneurs. I think that young entrepreneurs should be bold and embrace their god given gifts. They should understand society and how they can use their talents to enhance the lives of people in their communities and throughout the world. They should think on how to integrate and utilize their talents so it will have sustainability and be financially rewarding. Once they have made these determinations then they should jump in. Their passion would carry them through the challenges they will face.

To date, what project is your greatest success? What is the story behind that innovation? The greatest success is the PURE SupraPhysiologic Concentrating Systems I have developed for preparing platelet rich plasma and bone marrow concentrating treatment samples. The formulation is very effective for a host of treatment applications. The preparation is very well tolerated by patients and exceeds the clinical threshold for efficacy. I am proud of these systems and am happy to have been able to make the millions in investment for R&D towards its development. I am rewarded everyday that I get a story about how our devices have changed lives.