What Inspired the Shower Sockᵀᴹ
Founder, Chief Culture Officer, author, speaker, and Super Bowl Champion Ben Utecht started playing football in 4th grade and continued through his career in the NFL. This resulted in a 20 year career of performing on fields and using communal shower facilities all across the country.
In 2008, while playing for an NFL franchise, Utecht contracted a foot fungal infection that was painful and negatively affected his performance. This injury event inspired the idea to create a product that could help solve the issue of foot infections across the world. Utecht secured the US patent for the Shower Sockᵀᴹ and started his production journey with the University of Minnesota Medical Device department.
Shortly after, he partnered with founder Mario Nozzarella, a world medical device leader, to further develop the product, and founder Heinrich Von Solms of South Africa, international business leader and designer of the sock, who secured the international patent and trademark for the Shower Sockᵀᴹ, along with developing the manufacturing and chemical application process.
Team
Ben Utecht
- Retired NFL Player
- Super Bowl XLI Champion
- Entrepreneur
- Secured Patent for Shower Sock in US
- Recipient of Tony Dungy’s Uncommon Leader Award
- Chief Culture Officer for True North Private Equity
Mario Nozzarella
- Global leader in Medical Device
- Founder of RespirTech and IDTS Medical
- Holds Patents in multiple industries
- Developed and founded multiple companies bringing them to commercialization and the aquisition process
Heinrich Von Solms
- 36+ Years Experience in the South African and International Market
- Secured Patent for Shower Sock Internationally
- Executive Head Strategic Business Development, Zetes Africa
- Owner, Centuria 315
- Director/Shareholder, Proscan Group
- Managing Director/Shareholder, IData Distribution
Melissa Buening
- 15+ years experience in marketing and sales
- Worked with over 50 startups in a variety of industries
- Created and launched several ecommerce businesses
- Member of the University of Minnesota's Venture Center Business Advisory Group
The Shower Sockᵀᴹ Is the Solution
We should not have to worry about the risks of taking a shower at the gym, a hotel or spa, or going camping with the family and using the communal showers. Although floors in public and communal showers are usually cleaned with strong detergents to help eliminate germs, the fact of the matter is...the floor is only as clean as the last person who used it. Water isn't the only thing that's swirling down the drain. Sweat and skin cells are also in the mix. Along with all of that are various strains of mold, algae, and fungi that either grow in moist environments or are carried there on people's bare feet. You can also assume that outdoor contaminants are making their way onto the public shower floors. Cut or cracked skin on your feet enhances the chances of pathogens, causing various infections. Many people wear flip flops to a public or communal shower, which is not a solution - they can actually cause more problems. The flip flops are used over and over, which means that they are constantly getting wet, often not getting the chance to dry completely. This moist environment is another breeding ground for fungus and other germs that act as a risk to the health of your feet.