Jul 31, 2018 Community: Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
3DHEALS members can get in touch with Mr. Asher Breverman here
Jenny: Tell us, what is one quote that represents you?
Asher: Being smart will count for nothing if you don’t make the world a better place
Jenny: Tell us a little about yourself. (Where are you from originally? Where are you located? What are you working on?)
Asher: I’m a passionate, energetic, and entrepreneurial-minded young professional living in Dallas, Texas and working as a 3D-printing engineer and project manager for a small medical device company that designs, manufactures, and sells 3D-printed spine implants. I originally grew up in central New Jersey and went to college at Drexel University in Philadelphia where I got my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. During that time, I worked in numerous internships at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab and medical device companies that used 3D-printing for prototyping and product development. Currently, I am working on numerous projects (in both engineering and management capabilities) for 3D-printed titanium spine implants that can be used to treat degenerative disc disease and scoliosis.
Jenny: What made you decide to become a 3DHEALS community manager?
Asher: During my five years at Drexel, I took advantage of every entrepreneurial opportunity through the university’s startup incubator. After graduating and moving to Dallas, I struggled to find a community that I felt connected to and provided an opportunity to help out, empower others, and learn. I have always wished that Dallas/Fort Worth had a “tech hub” like the Bay Area, and I realized that if I wanted the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex to be a hub for 3D-printing and medical devices, I would have to lead the charge to create that hub.
Jenny: If you have already organized a 3DHEALS event, what were your experiences like? (Photos?) Anything unexpected happened?
Asher: I have not organized or attended a 3DHEALS event
I have organized a 100-person event during my junior year of college with my student organization, Dragons for Israel, where I was President. I coordinated with the University’s President, who spoke at the event, and numerous faculty members and student organizations. To learn more, check out:
https://www.drexelhillel.org/bridging-gap-drexels-presence-israel-special-event-featuring-president-john-fry
Jenny: What do you think of innovations in healthcare 3D printing or bioprinting? What do you hope to see in the next five years? 10 years?
Asher: Patient-specific implants: Orthopedic implants can be designed to match patient-specific anatomy which can improve clinical outcomes.
Metal nanoparticle jetting –There are many limitations of powder bed fusion (SLM + EBM) and new metal-filament AM techniques (w/ Desktop Metal and Markforged) are unable to manufacture millimeter-sized features accurately. I think metal nanoparticle jetting could be the future to create micron-sized metal products with additive manufacturing.
Generative design software- Generative design software packages provide unparalleled design possibilities to product development engineers, which allow for increased usage of 3D-printing in healthcare related applications. One example of this application is the 3D-printed spine implant “Modulus” by NuVasive.
Bioprinting-3D-printing organs and tissue could be one of the most significant innovations in humankind, rivaled only with artificial intelligence.
Jenny: If you have done 3D printing before, what have you made/designed? (Photos if available, preferably in healthcare application)
Asher:
3D-printed wind turbines – I attended a 5-year BS/MS program at Drexel for Mechanical Engineering, and in my senior year, I founded a startup, WindiGo Turbines, that used 3D-printed turbine blades. This startup won 4th place in Inc. Magazine’s Hottest Startups of 2016.
3D-printed spine implants – I currently work as an Additive Manufacturing Engineer where I have led the FDA approval process for five 3D-printed spine implants.
Jenny: Most of our community managers are entrepreneurial and adventurous, what risks/adventures have you taken that you’d like to share with us? Any hopes or regrets?
Asher:
Starting my own startup (and failing fantastically!) – This startup won 4th place in Inc. Magazine’s Hottest Startups of 2016 but failed less than 12 months later. At the time, it was both my
greatest achievement and my greatest failure in life and I learned more about people in that 12-month span than the previous 22 years of my life combined.
- Moving to Dallas after an 8-hour interview with my current team – I grew up in New Jersey, attended college in Philadelphia, and have visited every major city along the east coast. I was flown out to Dallas on a last-minute interview with Osseus, my current employer, and within 8-hours of meeting my team, I knew immediately that I would uproot my entire life and move to Dallas, where I knew no one and had never been before.
Jenny: Who would you like to find and to include in the 3DHEALS community you are building?
Asher:
Additive manufacturing professionals: Engineers, Technicians, Sales professionals, Material scientists, Business executives, Marketing professionals
Healthcare professionals: Physicians, Surgeons, Doctors, PA’s, Nurses, Techs, Med Students
Educators: Trainers, Teachers, Professors
Students: Middle school, High school, and Undergrad
Jenny: What would you like to accomplish with this new 3DHEALS community in the future?
Asher: Host 1 event within 12 months of launching Dallas/Fort Worth community, introduce 100 people to 3DHEALS through the Dallas-based event, and empower 50 students to get involved with 3D-printing
Jenny: What do you think about the innovation environment (for health tech or for general technology) in your city? What can be done to improve it?
Asher: Coming from Philadelphia, I was a little disappointed with the health tech scene at Dallas. There are always entrepreneurial events throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, but the health tech scene is limited.
I believe one of the first steps of unifying the health tech scene is to approach each and every health tech company and organization for health tech through social media and personalized email campaigns. I think the reason that there is a limited health tech scene in Dallas is that of how geographically spread out the community is across 5-10 different cities/towns in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. By contacting interested parties directly, I hope to employ a personal touch to create curiosity and interest in new members.
Jenny: What are you most proud of about your city?
Asher: Food and it’s fun!
Jenny: What are you most proud of about the innovation community in your city?
Asher: I always find something new that surprises me about the tech companies in Dallas/Fort Worth
Jenny: What do you think are the top priorities in healthcare 3D printing innovations for your city/community?
Asher:
Enterprise: Contact HR departments at 3D-printing companies in Dallas, and contact 3D-printing engineers in Dallas via LinkedIn
Non-profits: Contact training and education organizations that focus on manufacturing (ASME, SME, SWE)
Education: Contact middle schools, high schools, and colleges and contact teachers, educators, professors
Jenny: What do you hope to accomplish through your role as the 3DHEALS community manager?
Asher: Help, teach, empower community members
Jenny: What do you do for fun?
Asher: Chess and Reading
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