Episode 7:2 Jeremy Knopow on How Motivo Is Reinventing the World of Mobility Aids
The consumer products designer holding numerous patents, Knopow spent his career applying user-centered design to purposeful projects. His company Motivo focuses on new generation mobility aids for older adults. His motto? “There's got to be a better way…”
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About Jeremy
Jeremy Knopow is c-founder of Motivo: Independence by Design. A Product Designer and Mechanical Engineer with over 25 years of Fortune 100 new product development experience, he has led innovation efforts at Kohler, SC Johnson, Fiskars, and Procter and Gamble. In 2012 following his late father’s battle with ALS, Knopow co-founded Motivo, Inc. to reinvent the world of mobility aids. Along the way, he has also been applied his design skills to broader problems ranging from hot showers for 9/11 rescue workers, improving sanitation in the slums of Nairobi, to fighting malaria in Ghana.
Knopow has been a frequent guest lecturer on user-centered design and social entrepreneurship at numerous universities around the world and is currently an Adjunct Prof. of Design at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s of Fine Arts in Industrial Design, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as being named on over 170 patents.
Key Takeaways
- The mobility industry is ripe for innovation. It is stuck in a time capsule with antiquated solutions dating back to the 1940’s.
- Motivo’s innovation process started with two years users of mobility products, doctors, nurses, rehab operators, physical therapists, caregivers, and senior living community operators, asking: “If you were to start from a blank slate, what would you ideally like to have in a daily mobility product?”
- Proprietary product features include a sleek, colorful design people could actually feel good about using, an upright stance to prevent hunching over, and enhanced functionality like a flip out seat, built-in tray and storage, and the ability to easily store by folding tightly.
- The logoed custom Motivo Tour is a vehicle for senior living communities to showcase their brand in a physical form. Opportunities include branded Tours and programs for prospective and current residents.