I graduated from Pepperdine University, in Malibu, with a degree in Business Administration and went to work for one of the premier LA-based private equity firms. It was an amazing experience and an exceptional training ground. I learned a tremendous amount about the external forces that influence a company’s logic of value creation and value capture, and how to identify innovative business models and new business relationships that unlock the latent value of existing assets. I was also able to travel and see the world. But, while it was a great career for making money, it didn’t feed my passion and purpose.
I wanted to do more with my life. I knew my interests lay at the intersection of sports, wellness, and technology, and I wanted to help people amplify their potential. I just wasn’t sure which path to take. Thankfully, Los Angeles is the ideal city in which to launch innovative technologies that help people lead healthier lives. I encountered a lot of incredible people here who were trying to do things in a meaningful way — bringing ideas to market that were profitable, but could also benefit society. That mindset inspired me and steered me towards wellness entrepreneurship.
It was at this critical juncture in my life that I met David Horinek, a genius inventor. He had the vision to weave therapeutic, infrared technology into fabrics. It blew my mind!
The prospect of getting involved in scientific testing actually thrilled me. It sounded so far out, but I knew right away, instinctively, that it was for real. I have a background as an athlete and I immediately understood this technology’s potential for performance enhancement and recovery. I also saw the possibilities for other beneficial applications. All we needed to do was prove that it worked.
That also seems like a very LA story — to chase a dream that sounds fantastic and demonstrates its value in the real world. That has a lot to do with why we’re headquartered here.
It was 18-years-ago that it all started, and we’ve made that original vision a reality, and continue to innovate in the responsive textiles space.
I’ll be honest… I was naïve when I started this company. I thought it would be simple to bring this technology to the marketplace. I never imagined how complicated it would all be — the supply chain, managing the R&D, and conducting clinical studies while navigating the FDA.
These days, my big challenge is learning how to encode innovation into the DNA of our company so we’re continually making advancements that maintain our industry leader status.
Celliant® is the first responsive textile that works in conjunction with your body to help it perform at its peak. We create mineral-infused fibers and yarns that are made into products that harness and recycle your body’s heat in the form of infrared energy, leading to increased performance, strength, and endurance, as well as improved sleep quality and recovery.
Celliant technology is used in the manufacture of products for global brands, including Under Armor, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Xcel wetsuits, and Tecnica ski boots. Our proprietary, cutting-edge technology has been proven effective in six US-based published studies.
Sports icons, including Tom Brady and Steph Curry, promote Celliant-powered performance products. And we’re very proud of our hard-won FDA determination as both a wellness product and a medical device.
I believe that our dedication to authenticating the value of our products, and our passionate devotion to improving people’s lives, will continue to set us apart and will be the differentiating factor for brands using our technology.
Our key business priorities are seemingly simple yet difficult:
At the end of the day, I believe business, when done right, can improve the state of the world. And I believe in the power of human potential. My goal is to marry those two beliefs into a successful enterprise that creates, discovers, and markets products that enhance people’s lives, empowering them to take charge of their own health.
If I knew then what I know now — how daunting the journey would be — I might not have started this venture. But isn’t that the way of life? I saw only what I needed to see to inspire me to commit, and each step forward has brought us closer to our goal.
