Connect Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My inspiration in business comes from the firehouse and the firefighters beside me. Born in the Firehouse. Built to Protect. Years of service revealed a hard truth—clothing meant to protect us could also harm us. After facing health issues and digging into the science with researchers like Notre Dame, the mission became clear: build safer clothing. Armadillo Woolery exists to protect those who protect others.

How do you stay motivated?

I stay motivated by the firefighters we serve and the crisis our profession is facing. PFAS and other toxic chemicals are embedded in the clothing firefighters wear every shift, and cancer rates in the fire service continue to rise. Too many brothers and sisters are getting sick from the very job meant to protect others. That reality drives our mission—to expose the problem and build safer clothing that protects the health of those who protect everyone else.

What would you do with the $25,000?

If awarded $25,000, we would use the funds to scale production of PFAS-Free, FR-chemical-free Merino wool clothing designed for firefighters. The grant would support manufacturing inventory for our station wear and boot socks to meet growing demand from firefighters and department pilots. A portion would also support continued testing and research validating safer alternatives to synthetic station wear, helping us push back against the cancer and chemical exposure crisis in the fire service.