Have entrepreneurs lost the will to innovate? Sir Richard Branson doesn’t think so. He’s “never known a more exciting time for innovation,” and I agree 100%. We’ve got self-driving cars, miniaturized medical equipment and private space exploration. What will innovation bring us next?
For evidence that disruptive innovators can be spotted in every direction you turn, look no further than my friend and partner, Easton LaChappelle. Since the age of 14, Easton has dedicated himself to creating affordable, state-of-the-art, prosthetic limbs – IN HIS BEDROOM!!
Spectacular Disruption and Strategic Innovation
Want a storybook tale about an entrepreneur’s will to innovate? Once upon a time at a Colorado science fair, Easton met a little girl who was born without an arm. The girl’s parents told Easton about the elbow-to-fingertip prosthetic she was using that cost $80,000. Easton couldn’t believe that the 7-year-old would need several of these $80,000 arms as she grew.
Being a bright and ambitious innovator, young Easton had been tinkering with projects his whole life. In fact, he was there at the science fair presenting the first generation of a prosthetic arm that he had made out of a Nintendo Power Glove, Legos and electrical tape. But he had a moment of clarity in his meeting with that little girl and her family. He was moved in his heart to greatness.
Using 3D printing, Easton found a way to create a finger-tip-to-shoulder prosthetic with brainwave control for around $400! Yes, that’s not a typo. For about the same price as a PlayStation 4, you get an arm that is more powerful than the $80,000 model. A person using Easton’s first $400 arm can curl 300 pounds!
Easton was invited to the White House to meet with President Obama. I was completely inspired by Easton’s vision and even more so by his ability to . I had to connect with him. I reached out right away. When we got in contact I found out that he was a fan of my work — as I was his. We set up a partnership, , in 2014. Driven to help people who can no longer walk, he began working diligently on building a carbon fiber exoskeletal suit. The goal was to eventually mass produce and custom-fit it to each person in need, effectively empowering a person with the ability to walk again.
