Sara Sheehan’s guest in this episode is Dr. Kerriann Greenhalgh, CEO and Chief Science Officer of KeriCure Medical. Kerriann shares the story of how she fell in love with chemistry and came to a place where she developed her own wound barrier and infection care skin spray, KeriCure. KeriCure is a revolutionary medical product and contains a nanopolymer technology that Kerriann worked to develop for topical wound care. Sara learns the history of its development and how Kerriann is using her knowledge and KeriCure to change the lives of children, adults, and pets everywhere.
When Kerriann discovered she had a natural aptitude for and enjoyment of chemistry, she obtained her PhD working in a lab focused on a nanoparticle, nanopolymer drug delivery system. While the lab focused on internal applications, Keriann focused on topical usage, and KeriCure was born. KeriCure spray is an acrylate polymer, which means it has the same elasticity and stretch as skin. It works to seal wounds, scrapes and rashes while disinfecting, reducing pain, and keeping bacterial infection at bay while the wound heals.
Sara and Kerriann discuss the varied use cases for KeriCure, from kids to sporting events to military packs, and explore both how portable the spray is and how easy it is to use. The difficulties inherent in FDA approval, marketing, online sales, and everything else entrepreneurs face are part of Kerriann’s story as well. She talks about expansion, creating a prescription-strength formula of KeriCure, as well as a pet and animal formula and what her plans are for the future of her creation. This is a fascinating look into a woman-led and created business that has a profoundly helpful impact on everyday lives.
About Dr. Kerriann Greenhalgh:
Dr. Kerriann Greenhalgh is a wife, mom and the inventor behind KeriCure Medical’s technology. Dr. Greenhalgh received her Bachelor’s in biochemistry and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of South Florida. She was an initial member of MiMedx Inc. (later MiMedx Group) as lead of R&D and product development, and successfully submitted the company’s first 510k to the FDA for a collagen surgical mesh. Her experiences working on projects at the FDA, Homeland Security, US Army Medical Research Center, and with industry leaders, including Battelle and Constellation, have given her the insights on how to successfully develop and launch critical need products. She has been an invited reviewer for multiple NIH grant review panels, scientific journals, and is an established author and contributor to many medical and scientific journals and publications. Dr. Greenhalgh has over half a dozen patents, including many for the KeriCure technology, and is a frequent keynote and guest speaker at symposiums and conferences. Dr. Greenhalgh brings unique expertise to KeriCure as the CEO and Chief Science Officer and has dedicated her life to bringing safe, natural, and effective skin and wound care products to the world.
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Contact Sara Sheehan | Sara Sheehan Consulting:
Contact Dr. Kerriann Greenhalgh:
- Website: KeriCureMedical.com
- Store: KeriCure.com
- LinkedIn: kerriann-greenhalgh-548b7813
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Transcript
Sara 0:02
Hi there. I’m Sara Sheehan, and welcome to my podcast, Transformational Thinkers with Sara Sheehan. Today, I’m talking with Dr Keri Ann Greenhalgh. Dr Greenhalgh is a wife, mom and the inventor behind KeriCure Medical Technology. Dr Greenhalgh received her Bachelor’s in biochemistry and a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of South Florida. She was an initial member of MimedX Incorporated and as a lead of R and D and product development, and she successfully submitted the company’s first 510 k to the FDA for a collagen surgical mesh. Her experiences working on projects for the FDA, Homeland Security, US Army Medical Research Center and with industry leaders including Battelle and Constellation, have given her the insights on how to develop and launch critical need products successfully. She has been invited to be a reviewer for multiple NIH grant review panels, scientific journals and established author and contributor to many medical and scientific journals and publications. Dr Greenhalgh holds over a half dozen patents, including many for the KeriCure technology, and is a frequent keynote and guest speaker at symposiums and conferences. Dr Greenhalgh brings unique expertise to KeriCure as both the CEO and Chief Science Officer dedicating her life to developing safe, natural and effective skin and wound care products for the world. Kerriann Ann, I am so honored to have time with you today. Welcome to the show.
Kerriann 2:01
Thank you. Thanks for having me, Sara.
Sara 2:04
Thank you so much for your time. Kerriann Ann, your backstory is so incredibly important, because it clearly is what got you here, and you clearly followed your passion for science along the way. Can you tell us your backstory and how it led to where you are today?
Kerriann 2:25
Sure. So I always had a passion for chemistry, even in high school. Actually, it was one of those classes that, you know, everyone was afraid of, and when I got in, everything just clicked, and I understood the language, so it came very easy to me. And I said I actually finished the class, like six weeks before everyone else, because my teacher let me work ahead.
Sara 2:53
Awesome. That’s incredible.
Kerriann 2:55
It’s one of those things where it’s like, okay, everyone else around me struggling, and it came naturally to me. So this is probably something. And so I actually declared chemistry as my major my first day at USF University of South Florida, go Bulls, and I had a professor, and I got to take an advanced level class, and he talked me into doing internship over the summer working in his lab. And this was the end of my sophomore year, so I was by far the youngest person in the lab by a lot. And by the end of the summer, he sat me down and said, you know, what do you want to do? And I was really interested in forensic science, and so I thought I was going to be a forensic chemist. And he said, Well, after, you know, eight weeks this summer, you have enough for a master’s. I was like, You’re kidding me. He’s like, you you synthesize 10 compounds and tested all of them. He’s like, That’s a lot. Like, most people take two years to do that. I was like, Oh, okay. So he talked me into going to grad school, basically after that summer, and so I ended up finishing my undergrad in three and a half years, and was working in the lab the whole time after that. And so had a head start with my PhD. And what our lab was focused on was a nanoparticle, nanopolymer drug delivery system. So we were trying to find a way to make penicillin active again against staph and MRSA. And so we use this really unique nano polymer system. And what I was working with it, I was trying to address the very multitude of bacteria that inhabit burn wounds. So my focus was specifically on topical applications and for burns, because I had an NSF agar fellowship, and we were supposed to be doing something with the skin. So I was like, Oh, you guys are treating, trying to treat internally. Let me go topically, which turned out to be the great thing, because it just kind of kick-started everything I wanted and ended up doing with KeriCure. But yeah, so I’ve always. I had a passion for burn wounds, especially I saw how devastating they are to people and how much contamination they get so quickly, and how difficult they are to treat, and really no one gives it a lot of love and attention. If you look at the wound care industry as a whole, you know burns take up 10% of the innovation and tech and technology and products that come out, and you know, that just didn’t make sense to me. And so I’ve always had an interest in that area. And after I graduated, I got my first, my first interview out of grad school, I had to pitch not only myself, but my technology as this nanopollical drug delivery system for topical wound care to a company, and they ended up hiring me. And then, of course, you know, shelved the technology to do other stuff, and got them their first 510K, and then they wanted to relocate to another state, and I was kind of dumb, so good time to part. And was the kind of the kickstart I needed to push myself out and start my own company and see if I couldn’t do what I wanted to do. After learning a lot from this company on how to get FDA clearance, how to develop the whole design history file and develop and do all the testing needed for FDI, you know, got a lot of education in that. And so it was the right time to kind of branch out on my own and see if I couldn’t do it for my technology. And so that’s when I formed KeriCure in 2011.
Sara 6:28
That is a fascinating trajectory. And I would also add, it’s very impressive that things came naturally for you and were uniquely fueled and sped up. I find that fascinating.
Kerriann 6:48
Yeah I always was a big science nerd, though. I mean, I think I was part of Greenpeace since I was like 10, always into the environment. I used to, you know, hang out in the woods and do all sorts of hunting, and I had my own microscope in elementary school. And when, you know, those weren’t cheap or very easily accessible on Amazon, that wasn’t a thing back then, you know, I had my science kit and I would do experiments at home, which, you know, my mom loved, which now I get to do with my kids. So it’s full circle, and they’re big science nerds too, which is great. And we do slime, and, you know, I make elephant toothpaste, and we do mentos explosions and all sorts of fun kid stuff at home.
Sara 7:31
Well and I’m sure they are great testers of your products as well.
Kerriann 7:35
Oh, yes, between them and all the animals, yeah, we’ve actually a couple products developed because of them. My daughter, we found out when she was just turned two, she stepped in a fire ant hill in the backyard and ended up having a really bad anaphylaxis reaction. Everything started swelling, and luckily, we were having a hurricane party, and a lot of neighbors over and a lot of our nurses, and so they were like, you know, jumped in the hot tub to get her, you know, to calm the itching. They gave her Benadryl, and they like, you know, calm me down, because I was panicking, obviously. But then the after effect of the amp bites is the itching and the blisters, and then she’d scratch them and they’d come open. And I was like, You know what I remember at some point in time we had looked at adding lidocaine in for itch and pain relief. And I was like, let me, let me revisit that. And so I ended up developing the line with lidocaine because of her in 2019 actually.
Sara 7:36
It’s a wonderful new addition. I’d love to hear more about the Nano polymer technology behind KeriCure.
Kerriann 8:45
Yeah, absolutely. So what we have is a really unique polymer system, and I basically designed it to mimic the elasticity of the skin. So the polymer that I created is, it is an acrylate polymer, acrylic based polymer, but it has the same tensile profile, meaning it can stretch and pull and then go back to its original shape, which is the same as elastin in your skin. So that’s why your skin can stretch and bend and move and go back, which we all lose when we get old, you know, sadly. So what we want, what I wanted to do was make something that wasn’t like the new skins, like the super glue style. It’s not a derma bond. You’re not going to be like, owe, I just glued myself together and it hurts and irritates. We wanted to be more kid friendly, and that having the ability to stretch and move with the body, so that it doesn’t irritate the skin and is comfortable for you know, everyone, not just people, but kids, kids with autism, so that they’re not they don’t notice it, people with sensitivities, elderly who want to rip a band aid off the second you put it on them, and then it tears their skin because they have thin skin. So we were able to target initially, we first launched commercially with our spray on liquid bandage, those more niche individuals, because we were comfortable, we were safe, we’re kid friendly, you know, we didn’t have harsh chemicals in it. We’re a water based product. So it’s essentially a water based system that you spray on and then it deposits a polymer film, and the film dries on the skin surface and acts as a physical barrier to prevent bacteria and infection from getting it. So it basically seals that wound and protects it and provides some moisture, which is ideal for healing, helps with itch and inflammation. It just calms everything down because of that moisture soothing capabilities. And I don’t know if you’ve ever used like the Nu Skin products. It’s alcohol and super glue. It burns, and it sucks.
Sara 10:46
It’s not a very good experience.
Kerriann 10:48
No, it’s not kid friendly.
Kerriann 10:50
It’s not at all. So I always joked, I said, you know, like they’re, they’re like super glue, or more Elmers glue, or more natural kid friendly style.
Sara 10:59
Well, and I would think, with blisters and things like that, it’d be absolutely ideal.
Kerriann 11:04
Yeah, oh, yeah. And we, you know, we used to sponsor Iron Man events, and they would use it to prevent chafing. They’d use it on the blisters. I had one event where we had a booth there, and all of a sudden someone yelled, “where’s the liquid bandage company, come here, we need you”. It’s almost the finish line pleading, and we had to, like, you know, triage them right there. We’ve had some fun experiences along the way. And I was always, I’ve always had an interest in a solid foundation of knowledge in medical, but I never wanted to be a doctor. So this is, like, my perfect in between, because I get to do a lot of medical fun stuff, but I don’t have to treat people.
Sara 11:46
That’s amazing. And so when I think about your product, and I think about the applicability in the marketplace, obviously, elder care, any anyone that is in harm’s way, in a tough job, whether it’s police or firefighters or EMTs as well as military, and honestly, any school environment with kids, those are all critical consumers that can use your product, correct?
Kerriann 12:26
Yeah. I mean, that’s the thing about first aid. It’s not limited, you know, you can think of a million different ways we can use the products. And, you know, it’s a great thing, but it’s also a challenge too, because it’s, how do you focus your time and energy when you can be used in so many different avenues. And if you think just retail alone, there’s obvious retail of grocery and pharmacy, but then you can be applicable in the outdoors and adventure categories. So you’re, you know, talking about Sports Authority, I think that’s still around Dicks, you know, those places, you know, the hunting stores, the Big Bass Pro Shop, kind of places, first aid. Think of it like your industry first aid. So at manufacturing facilities, workplace first aid, you know, there’s just a gazillion different things and different channels to look at on that side. When we went down the OTC route for a while, we were still commercially sold on Amazon, and that ended up just being easier, because people can get it the next day, they’re going on and they’re searching for this specific thing. What we found when we were in the First Aid section in, you know, the pharmacy and grocery stores were people didn’t go and shop for it, they were going because they needed it. So it wasn’t something that sold routinely, because it was only if someone had an issue, they were going. And then it’s if they can get to it, and if they have a store close by, and, you know, and if there’s something, not something more convenient. So what we found with Amazon and with the online retailers where people were able to have that convenience as soon as they needed it, and they only had to wait a day if, yeah, if that some, you know, sometimes you get Amazon the same day. So that’s really been why we decided to kind of focus our efforts there where we had less, less time and distraction of dealing with the retail space. Amazon’s fairly self sufficient once you get it situated and know what you’re doing. And we’ve been there since 2013 so we’re one of the old-
Sara 14:24
Very impressive. That’s impressive for Amazon. So yeah, that means that Amazon is doing the work of getting it into consumers hands. And all you have to do is provide inventory to them, correct?
Kerriann 14:40
Yeah, yep, and we create our manager list things and all of that. But, yeah, it’s nice because it’s, you know, small businesses are able to put their products on Amazon and get sales, whereas most small businesses can’t get into big box stores and retail. It’s very challenging, and it comes with a high cost, so you know, I always say, you know, people complain about Amazon, and they’re being so big. And I said, Well, if you look at it and actually look at who the sellers are, you’ll see a lot of small businesses there. I know we get a little badge that says we’re a small business and we’re a woman owned small business also. So if you look there and you’re, you’re conscious that you can really shop small business and be beneficial to us small guys through Amazon.
Sara 15:28
And so besides selling through Amazon, you also have two websites, your KeriCure focused on consumers, and then your KeriCure medical.
Kerriann 15:39
Yes, yeah. And we kind of separated, you know, we wanted to have two distinct areas for the specific end user. So we have our consumer facing website, which focuses on our OTC. Our spray on bandage products that have either the silver or they have lidocaine for itch relief, for blisters, for cold sores, actually works great on cold sores. Go figure. Psoriasis, eczema, like really any topical issue you can find. We’ve used it on and it’s helped poison ivy, all sorts of crazy. But we also have our animal health line there too, and that’s actually our top seller on Amazon, is our pet products. Because if you think about it, you can’t put a band aid on a dog or a cat. So what do you do? Right? We found that we had so many people asking us in the beginning if they could use our products on their pets that I said, there’s clearly a need for this. And I have a lot of dogs and a lot of rescues, you know, four dogs, cats, we got a pig, chickens, I got tortoises. We’ve got a lot of stuff here, so we’ve definitely used it on them also. And I was like, Oh, this seems, you know, like there’s a need for it. And so I think it was only a year after we launched commercially that we added the animal products, and they’ve been our number one sellers on Amazon since 2014.
Sara 16:58
That’s fascinating. And so do veterinarians even recommend it?
Kerriann 17:02
Yep, yeah. And we actually have a large animal line too that we sell for horses and livestock, and we sponsor the Kentucky Derby. I get to go play with the horses, which is fun.
Sara 17:14
That is amazing, yeah, really, that is a wonderful focus. And on, on the medical side of the house. You’re focusing on all kinds of applications with Plastic Surgery and Dermatology and military? Which I find fascinating.
Kerriann 17:32
Yeah. So we have our prescription strength formulas that we have on the KeriCure medical website, and that basically is targeting those major wounds. So we’re looking at chronic wound care where they have biofilms like really old wounds that aren’t healing. We’ve gotten to heal with our products, pressure injuries, diabetic foot ulcers, those types of things, and then burns. Obviously, you know, we have a I was able to get back into burns, which has been fantastic. And we were just at the American Burn Association Conference, and that was a great experience, one of the most fun ones for me, because it doesn’t take a lot of explaining for the nurses to go, oh, I don’t have to touch the burn. I just spray it. This is amazing. And I’m like, exactly because burns are so painful, and you don’t want to have to physically take off a dressing and scrub it every time. So if they can just spray, apply and respray, and they’re getting those benefits of the same, same type of benefits as their standard wound dressing, but you have antimicrobial silver in it, you’ve got lidocaine for pain, all in one they’re like, this is brilliant. So we had a lot of fun at that conference. When people get it quickly, it really is nice. And, you know, it makes me, like, affirms what we’re doing and that, you know, there is a need for it. And these, these nurses who are dealing with burns every day, you know, some of the most challenging wounds to manage, got it, and we’re excited about it. So that was great.
Sara 19:10
Well and not only that, but the actual patient experience is going to be so much better,
Kerriann 19:15
Right. And that’s the key, you know, is getting that pain level down for the patients. And so one of the things we’ve noticed since the beginning with our products is that we get really good patient compliance with it. Say, your child gets a burn. You don’t want to touch it, you know, it’s going to cause pain. You know, you don’t want to do the dressing changes because, you know it’s going to be traumatic for them. So if you can do something where you can just spray it and they don’t have to touch then it’s so much easier, and it’s so simple to use. We get really good patient compliance because of that, because they’re like, oh, I don’t have to slather some ointment all over me or something grows. I can just do a couple squirts, and then it dries, and then we’re good. So we see that often, and that that’s been. Official, because one, it’s helping them, that patient, heal and do things the right way. But two, they’re not coming back to the hospital with a reoccurrence or a reinfection or something because they followed the protocol they were supposed to.
Sara 20:11
That’s phenomenal. And so Kerriann Ann, what has your experience been with building the KeriCure business itself with your specialization as a scientist. I’m wondering what the experience with scaling a business and creating demand has been like for you?
Kerriann 20:31
Yeah, it’s definitely been interesting. My dad has always been a businessman. He worked and built his own company. Worked for Apple back in the day, for Steve Jobs, when they were first starting out. So he actually got computers into the elementary schools in my neighborhood. So he was running through 12 divisions to put computers in schools back when we didn’t have them. Yeah. So I was, you know, able to help and train people on using computers in like third grade. No one really knew how to do that yet, but he ended up building a business on his own and sold it to Toshiba. And they kept him, kept his company in place, with his team managing it, and he ended up being the president and CEO for Toshiba North America before he retired. So he was always kind of excited. Yeah, he was the business guy. I was the scientist, like, I’m never gonna do business. Oh, that now I don’t like business. And then, yeah, here I am.
Sara 21:32
I bet he’s been a good mentor to you, yeah?
Kerriann 21:35
He is one of the first champions for us, helping support our fundraising in the beginning. And you know, definitely it’s been beneficial having him on board. I think he came on as a board member for us, and around 2017, or so, when he first retired from Toshiba. And of course, had more time to help. But yeah, no, it’s, it’s definitely been challenging. You know, retail business is a challenge in itself. It’s hard, you know, scaling marketing and figuring out how marketing has changed since we started in 2013 to now is drastic.Yeah, it’s, I mean, it’s not like you can put a press release out and everyone sees it. You know, it’s different. How you get communications out there about new things you’re doing. We just got our 510K for field shield or FDA clearance on it back at the end of July. And how do we, you know, how do we promote that? LinkedIn has been a big benefit for us, but, you know, it is definitely we did take a big risk business wise. And that was one of the things that kind of shaped our company in 2017. We, you know, I kind of looked and said, We really need to get into the medical space. That’s what our board, you know, what our investors, we sold them on. We know that’s where we can have the most impact. It’s great to help with first aid and over the counter stuff. And it’s, there’s a big need there. We knew there was a need in the market, and that’s why we did it. But, you know, for me, the real impact is on major wound care. And so I wanted to get back to that, but we needed to expand our technology. You know, we needed to have more than just one SKU, one product. And so we made the conscious effort to scale back our retail, pull out of the brick and mortar stores and kind of survive only online with our retail so that I could focus my time and efforts in expanding our technology and our product portfolio. And it took about two years, but by 2019 we had a nice build out of products and technology. We added an antimicrobial line into there, and then a year later, added the lidocaine, and that’s when we were able to get back into the medical space and really do a strong launch in the professional wound care market, as well as get interest from the military. At that point, then we had something that was really unique that not no one else had, not just a spray advantage, but this really unique combination wound dressing that had everything that they needed in it to treat wounds in the field and in austere environments on the front lines. When you don’t have a hospital, or you’re not getting to a hospital for a day, two days, three days, you know that changes the dynamics of wound management, and because we’re a spray, we can treat many wounds, not just one with one product, where most of the dressings are our fabric, it’s one wound, one sheet, one dressing. So we joke with the guys, we’re like, we’re care multipliers. And they love that, because our one treats many. So it multiplies. And you know, DOD and the military right now are really big on force multipliers, things that can enhance our guys capabilities and and strengthen us. And so they love that. We always joke we’re a care multiplier for them.
Sara 24:56
That’s fantastic. And so I’m assuming focusing on the medical side of the business, that’s been a tremendous expansion.
Kerriann 25:05
Yes, and, you know, it definitely takes a lot of time and resources too, but it’s an area that we see the biggest growth potential also, and ability to help so, yeah, it’s definitely been interesting, you know, navigating the professional medical market from a business standpoint and and not wasting time and resources in areas where it’s not, it’s not quickly received, or where, you know, you have a lot of roadblocks. But I think, you know, we’ve been being strategic with how we approach things. And one of the things that we’ve said from the beginning is, you know, hey, we’re a biotech company. We’re not a marketing sales company. So we look for strategic partnerships on that end to grow and expand. So working with companies, you know, we have a couple of private labels where its people put their names on the products and technology and sell it under their brand, which is great. You know, it’s getting out there. They have their brand recognition. So why would we force our name if they already have it? We’re more about getting it out and getting it in the hands of people that need it, versus us having an ego with the brand name. I did not pick this name, by the way, KeriCure, my board did it.
Sara 26:20
That is a fascinating story. And honestly, even picking the name and it being a play on your name, I do love that.
Kerriann 26:31
Well, we were targeting moms in the beginning, you know, as a first aid product for kids, and that was kind of where we wanted to be the kid friendly version of what was on the market, and so everyone just kind of said, Put your name, like, let’s make a KeriCure, because they’ll connect and resonate with the moms. And I was like, oh, geez, really-
Sara 26:53
I think it’s great, I really do.
Kerriann 26:55
Yeah, so it’s always been a joke. I’m like, it wasn’t me. I swear. Where I was like, I would have called. I had a list of like, 20 names, and my girlfriend, who was a marketing exec for Vic, picked KeriCure. And I was like, No way. And sure enough, every single one of our investors voted for it. And I was like, You’re kidding. So that was it. I couldn’t say no, they all voted for it.
Sara 27:20
That’s right, that’s right. And so are you working on any new products for areas with critical needs now?
Kerriann 27:30
Yes. So we, we’ve been working with the HA, which the defense health agency, since 2020 I actually won the Army’s ex tech search. I was a top 10 finalist, and got $ 145,000 in prize money from them as part of launching us into the medical, the military medical space. Nice and since then, we’ve developed a lot of really great relationships with people in the medical, military medical industry, and listen to their issues and and their pain points and their capability gaps and what they need for the future fight. And so we have some things in the pipeline that we’ve been working on with them, really specific for their needs, some new iterations of our current products, and then also expanding our FDA indications for use to add indications for stuff that they’re looking at for future, maybe not necessarily our future, but things that are coming that we would want to help with, like chemical bio nuclear issues. So treating mustard agent burns, chlorine gas, viral threats and wounds, yeah, some crazy stuff. So luckily for us, our silver works against a big host of things, and we’re very helpful with the Lidocaine with painful blistering burns like mustard agent and chemical burns. So it just makes sense, and because, like again, I said, we’re we’re a spray. We’re easy to use. I always joke that my seven year old sprays herself. So these big military guys can do it easily with little training. And that’s those are kind of the key things that make sense for the military, because they need something that can that anyone can use it just we’re not going to have to train them for days on how to apply this and use it correctly. And that’ll help seal and protect their wounds and help, you know, provide some pain relief, antimicrobial until they can get to, you know, a hospital and surgical needs.
Sara 29:28
That is a very high value situation when you don’t have to train people extensively. I mean, that is just huge. It could literally go in every single person’s backpack.
Kerriann 29:43
That’s what I’m trying! That’s the goal, I’ll tell you, they call it an ifak, it’s an individual first aid kit. And so every warfighter has one, and it’s very hard because, you know, they have so much heavy stuff they carry. So just to add anything is difficult, and so, you know, it is an uphill battle, and it’s something that we’re very passionate about, and I think would be a huge benefit to them, but it’s just convincing the top level to swap something out, to put us in. But the fact that we could, you know, you can have this one little itty bitty. I mean, it’s ridiculously small. It’s a half ounce, wonderful in your bag. And this could treat five to 10 wounds. They don’t have anything like that.
Sara 30:31
So it’s a no brainer.
Kerriann 30:34
Well, you know, our government’s not always the best with no brainers. THey make it as complicated as possible.
Sara 30:42
You’re cracking the code, though, because you’ve come so far in your work to set up commerce between you and the military. You have all these stock numbers. You are listed as a preferred provider. You’ve come a long way.
Kerriann 31:05
Yes, yeah, it’s definitely been, you know, the past four years in education for us as well. You know, I’ve always had an interest in working with the military because of burn care, and they really just don’t have anything good for field care, for burns. It’s pretty much ignored, honestly, because it’s not life threatening at that time in the field. But what’s happening is they’re coming home with these by the time they get to fix care, they get to that hospital, they have this massive infection they’ve now got to deal with. They’re losing limbs because of it, because it’s so infected that there’s nothing they can do. And we could be such a simple solution that takes little to no effort to prevent that from happening. So it’s like, you know, we’re figuring things out still. Every day I learn something new. There’s a new area, there’s a new buyer, there’s a new way that they can order from us that we’ve got to figure out. But it’s been very rewarding, and getting to work with the guys and the, you know, the medics, the PAs getting to work with the Army Rangers is my favorite. Getting to go to the best Ranger competition. I always have a blast. And this year, I got to actually be in the medic tent and help take care of them after they cross the finish line and treat their blisters and their rope burns and their friction burns. And there were a couple of pretty bad ones that I got to jump in and help with. And that was really, you know, for me, it’s, that’s the fun part is getting to see the benefit and helping, you know, our military.
Sara 32:33
Absolutely, it’s super rewarding. And so, Kerriann Ann, what big leap are you working on in your business right now.
Kerriann 32:41
So right now we have basically spent the last 12 to 18 months putting together all of the key components to launch in medical and military. So we were pulling together, as you know, a sales team, a team of sales reps for the the civilian side, and the hospitals, the burn centers, the wound centers, home health care, getting those guys together, getting all of our pricing figured out, all of our skews, our of our marketing materials, and then getting on the military side, getting on all of the different selling contracts, like the GSA, the E Cat, getting our national stockpile numbers our NSNs. So we pretty much have dedicated the last 18 months to making sure that all the key pieces were in place, so that way, once we hit go, we’re ready to sell. And pretty much that’s where we’re at now. So now we’re doing our hard launch this year we did at the American Burn Association Conference, and then we were just at Soma, which is the special ops medic conference a couple weeks ago, and really getting the world word out there and trying to trying to promote the sales and distribution of the products in these industries.
Sara 33:56
That is very exciting. And so what events do you have coming up? Do you have anything else on the calendar?
Kerriann 34:02
Yeah, there’s a couple. We have the EMS Expo, which is where all the firefighter EMS come together. We think that our antiseptic spray and then our field shield are two ideal products for them to be able to treat at the back of the ambulances. Or a lot of times, I think this, that is 80% of ambulance calls don’t go to the hospital. They’re treating on site, and then they’re releasing. So wow, you know, we’re a solution for that as well. And then we have a big one for the National Guard coming up to this year and trying to get the products into not just the medic kits and the first aid bags, but on base at the aid stations and for preventative care. So that’s a big focus for us in the next you know, year to two years, is, how can we make sure that our men and women that are going through the trainings aren’t, they call it washing out, but essentially not having to go back through training because they got this blister that turned into this massive wound on their foot because it got infected. And then now they can’t finish the course because they can’t walk anymore, and they need to get out and get medical care. So if we can get, you know, our products in the hands of of the students as they’re going through training, so that they can be treating their foot funguses, or they can be spraying their blisters and their rope burns and grass burns so that it doesn’t turn into these big, nasty wounds, so they can prevent washing out and going to completing their trainings. We think that would be a big benefit overall to our capabilities. And as they call it, our force readiness, so our ability to be ready for a conflict, you know, that’s that’s a big area that we see growth opportunity and an ability to help by, by getting stocking the products on basis here in the states as well as looking for it for use in med bags as well.
Sara 36:02
And so it’s going to be a really exciting time for you, basically the next two to five years. Yeah, that’s awesome. That’s incredible. That’s incredible. If you could build your business over again, what would you do differently? If anything?
Kerriann 36:19
Yeah, there, you know, I think that’s a good question. You know, as as painful as it was to go retail to start, it taught us a lot, you know, and I think it was a necessary learning lesson for me, personally as the CEO, and learning the business side of those things too, because it just prepared us for some of the larger contracts and conversations we’re having now with, you know, worldwide distributors for medical products and for military products. We’re talking to North American rescue. We actually just signed a contract yesterday with them as our distribution partner, and they’re a-
Sara 36:57
Congratulations. That’s so exciting.
Kerriann 36:59
Thank you. Yeah. So, you know, I think, you know, I never look back and say, I wish I did this or that differently. It’s all been a road and a journey, and everything’s just a learning experience and how to grow and develop from it. Obviously, we wish we would have gotten partnerships sooner when certain in certain areas, or found a distribution partner that worked out for the OTC space. We actually had a contract for private label that we thought was finished. We had spent a year on it, and the parent company was involved in the opioid crisis, and so they literally just signed our part of the deal.
Sara 37:39
I’m so sorry to hear that.
Kerriann 37:41
And then they pulled it back because that whole bubble burst and the parent company went under, so we lost. So that was that one hurt, that one hurt that solid for like six months.
Sara 37:56
That’s very painful. I think that you’ll find another.
Kerriann 37:59
Yeah, always those experiences too. We’ve had quite a few of those where we, you know, we get the deal done even, and then they just never move on it, and it’s disappointing. And you just got to keep rolling and keep looking forward and keep looking for the next partnership, and one of them is going to work out, you know.
Sara 38:16
Yes, that’s right, that’s right. What big goals and aspirations are you currently working on right now?
Kerriann 38:24
Well, my dream, my pie in the sky dream, is to get our field shield in every ifac that would be like the ultimate win for me. So that’s my biggest goal. But you know, we’re looking at growth and expansion through distribution partnerships and then ultimately having the right partnership for acquisition, where we can then continue to develop products under them, under their brand, and just be, you know, a key biotech piece and integral partner for someone larger, who can fund it, who has that capability, who has that distribution and brand awareness in the market to kind of take our stuff to the next level, because we know where our limits are, and we know it takes millions and millions of dollars to build a global brand, and we’re not there. So that’s kind of what we’re looking for, is that right partnership.
Sara 39:13
And so when you look at the time frame that you think that you’re targeting, what do you think that time frame is? Is it beyond five years?
Kerriann 39:25
No, I think because we’ve done so much of the legwork at this point, we really finally have that full portfolio of products. Now, I think we’re looking at two to three years at the most.
Sara 39:36
That is so exciting.
Kerriann 39:38
Yeah, I think we’re finally there. It’s been a long journey. I formed the company in 2011 and I fundraised for about a year and a half in the like hard launched in 2012, I always joke, I burst two babies in in 2012 and KeriCure came first. I was fundraising while pregnant. So.
Sara 40:00
That was an intense year. And so you’re really at a very intense time. Then if you see two to three years,
Kerriann 40:08
Yeah. So we’ve been on the market since 2013, so 12 years on the market and commercially available. So, you know, I think there’s, there’s an end in sight. It’s, you know, we still have some time and some building and some awareness, and we want to show adoption in the medical space and in the military space now, but I think once we have those that that’s our next, our next level is going to be acquired within two to three years.
Sara 40:36
It’s absolutely going to come together for you. It is absolutely going to come together. Is there anything else that you want to share today? Is there anything else on your mind?
Kerriann 40:50
No, I really appreciate this, getting to chat with you and reaching out. You know, we love sharing the story and what we’re doing now. I mean, we were a commercial product for so long, and on the OTC space, and we haven’t really talked a lot about what we’ve been doing in the medical and military, because we’ve been head down doing it, you know. So I finally get a chance to come up for air and breathe. And now we have, you know, all of our products, FDA clearances, our NSNs, and it’s like, okay, now I can talk about it. Now I can finally be like, hey, look what we’ve done the last five years. For the last four years, you know, we’ve been building and building, and now it’s like we finally get a chance to share what we’ve been doing. So I really appreciate you having me on and let me share a story.
Sara 41:34
Absolutely, Kerriann Ann, I think great things are coming your way for certain, absolutely. How can our listeners find you?
Kerriann 41:43
So we’re available, like I said, on Amazon, you can just search KeriCure, and all of our products come up our KerriannCare store, KeriCure.com and then for the professional medical and military grade products, it’s KeriCureMedical.com is where you’ll find all of those. And then we’re on all of them, Dappy, GSA, e cats, all of those fun things.
Sara 42:05
Wonderful. Well, thank you so much for your time today.
Kerriann 42:07
Absolutely thank you.
Sara 42:07
The three key takeaways from today’s episode include purpose-driven innovation. Dr. Greenhalgh’s nanopolymer technology was born out of a desire to address critical needs in wound care, especially for burn victims, children, the elderly, and even animals. Her products were designed to be as gentle and effective as possible. Scaling through strategic focus. After starting in retail, KeriCure shifted towards e-commerce and Amazon, and most recently expanded strongly into medical and military markets. This strategic pivot allowed the company to optimize resources and impact where they are needed most. Listen and adapt. Many product evolutions, like adding lidocaine, came from real life family experiences and customer feedback, including responding to veterinarians needs for pet wound care from getting FDA approval and working with the US military to making a difference for families and pets at home, Dr. Greenhalgh’s story is a reminder of what’s possible when scientific rigor meets real world needs. Thanks so much for listening today, and as always, subscribe and never miss an episode.
