Great Companies: How did you get your idea or concept for the business?
Diana Hall : I'm a chemical engineer, and worked in engineering and software for many years, when I began running a mentoring program for children in poverty. The kids would have domestic violence and substandard living conditions and often had traditional casts that got filthy, smelly and soggy. They couldn't even practice basic hygiene like showering or washing their hands. I began 3D printing hygienic, plastic casts for them and their doctors asked for more. So I worked with the FDA on the regulatory requirements, insurance companies to make sure they could be covered, and partnered with the top hospitals and clinics in the country to make them available to patients. Now we are a global brand disrupting the fracture care immobilization industry!
Great Companies: What are the various services provided by ActivArmor?
Diana Hall : ActivArmor provides waterproof, breathable, custom designed and custom fitted casts for arms and legs. Any provider can order a cast easily with a free iPhone scanning app, for quick delivery in a few days. Or patients can visit one of our partnering clinics with experienced providers and on-site printing capability for an even faster turnaround.
Great Companies: What makes ActivArmor different from hundreds of other similar service providers?
Diana Hall: We are the only 3D printed custom casting system available nationwide that provides a protective but lightweight and breathable alternative, that's adjustable for swelling and can be locked-on for patient compliance, covered by insurance and can be ordered by any provider on iphone and printed right there in the office.
Great Companies: What were the struggles and challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
Diana Hall : It's always difficult to change the status quo in healthcare. But when you have a product that truly improves the quality of patient care with a competitive price-point, it's possible to overcome the barriers with the help of those people that share your mission, from investors, partners, providers and patients. We wouldn't be where we are without all of the support.
Great Companies: How do you plan to grow in the future? What does 5 years down the line look like for ActivArmor?
Diana Hall : We are focused on expansion right now - becoming the standard-of-care for immobilization though onboarding more hospitals and clinics, and continuously improving the process (ease-of-use and speed) and reducing costs through technology advancements.
Great Companies: If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?
Diana Hall: I would tell anyone starting out with an idea like this to build a strong Advisory Board and surround yourself with a diverse team of experienced advocates in all aspects of the business: legal, regulatory, sales, marketing, and product development to name a few. When you have a team sharing the same vision that you can leverage, you exponentially improve your chances of success.