Ramon, a BME student, grew up in a little town in Venezuela. As a young boy, he loved to spend time with one of his best friends, Sandy, a cocker spaniel. “I was always excited to go back home from school to play and snuggle with her,” said Ramon. Sandy became an integral part of Ramon’s life; she was his “baby.” They formed an unforgettable bond that would last a lifetime.

However, through experience, Ramon realized that their bond, a true blessing, could also result in tremendous pain. During a training session, Sandy was bitten by another dog and was severely injured. Ramon remarked, “a€¦her wounds wouldn’t close and it was a very hard moment for me to deal witha€¦a great void was left behind when she parted.” Sandy’s death left Ramon feeling helpless. There was nothing he could do to treat her wounds or ease her pain. This experience continued to linger in Ramon’s life; it left deeps scars that would take time to heal.

As an engineering student, Ramon focused on applying his knowledge to assist in the treatment of patients. “I wanted to apply my knowledge to help people, more specifically, in the medical field”, Ramon said. While researching new therapies on animal models, Ramon realized that these new regenerative therapies could also be utilized in the treatment of animals. He commented, “It was not hard to see [how we could help] the pet community and [support] those that were in the same position I was in with my dog.”

This sparked an idea. Why not create a business that assists local vet clinics in the treatment of animals? Ramon along with his business partner Tony Yuan, also a PhD candidate in the BME Program, embarked on developing and launching their business, Mobile Stem Care. They received substantial support and assistance from Cory Hallam, TSA chief commercialization officer and director of the Center for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship. “With the help of Cory Hallam we were able to create a business plan and make sense of our ideas” said Ramon.

Their mobile service offers veterinary clinics with adipose stem cell isolation, platelet rich plasma (PRP) isolation and other advanced regenerative therapies for animals like horses, dogs and cats. The procedure is quick, taking less than 90 minutes, with rigorous quality standards and is convenient for vet clinics that are unskilled in the procedure. Moreover, pet owners have access to regenerative therapies that are helpful in the treatment of many traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases, such as osteoarthritis. Their company is committed to updating their services to bring the best science has to offer to the general public.

Ramon’s experiences as a young boy have culminated in a business that strives to eliminate the feeling of helplessness. “With our business model [this option] is not a fancy therapy anymore, it is within the reach of each vet clinic and pet owner.”