This month, we are featuring superwoman Tamar Ish Cassit, Co-CEO and CTO of Cassit.
What is Cassit's Story?
Tamar Ish Cassit, an industrial designer with over a decade of experience designing and producing custom-made products for people with disabilities, decided to address developing country challenges. She discovered that most disabled people around the world don't have access to high-quality assistive technologies such as splints. Plaster or poor quality thermoplastic materials are used to create casts and splints, that are in many cases itchy, collect dirt, uncomfortable or unpleasant. She worked with therapists, orthopedic surgeons and engineers in Israel and Kenya to invent a new transparent splint of the highest quality at an affordable cost.
Then Zion Halfon, an entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience in global sales and marketing, joined Cassit as a Managing Partner. Tamar and Zion share the common vision of promoting a successful business with a vast social impact that answers a basic need: significant improvement in hand function and quality of life. So far, the company has raised nearly $1.5M and has begun mass production and marketing activities.
Tamar is a proud Pears Challenge alumni who learned about African country markets in Pears Challenge 2015. Having now piloted its products in Kenya for over 2 years, the company will start sales in 3 months and is currently negotiating with major distributors in the US, Europe, Africa and Israel.
Tell us about the technology!
Cassit develops and produces innovative orthopedic devices for hand injuries and disabilities, using advanced technologies to reach the mass market to answer basic need: using your hands. It includes recovery after hand injuries such as fractures, sprains, disabilities, wrist pain and more, whilst being a very cool device to wear. The breakthrough development, an innovative transparent splint/cast, is designed to enable people with hand injuries to improve their daily function to be able to gradually write, work and take care of themselves even during long rehabilitation periods. All for an affordable price, with uncompromising quality and an excellent user experience.
What is your motivation for doing what you do?
Do good while doing well.
Check out the video below to better understand our motivation. Out of 440 Million people with hand injuries annually, only 30% have access to splints or casts, intended to enable recovery and improvement in function. That is equal to over 300 Million people without treatment every year, and many of them are children. We aim to make a significant change in the lives of people with hand injuries and disabilities around the world, especially for those who lack the opportunity to obtain education, livelihood, independence and inclusion in society.
It is the month of the international women's day, what is your tip to women entrepreneurs?
My tip to women entrepreneurs is: Women tend to talk only about what they have tested and verified for 100%, and then they forget to talk about their vision, their dream. Facts are very important, but intuition and vision are as important. We must not forget to talk about what we know in our bones, even though it has not yet happened, and without apologizing. My recent favorite quote is: “No force on earth can stop an idea whose time has come” ― Victor Hugo
Congrats Cassit, the winner of SharkUp Nation prize AIPAC 2019.
Thank you Tamar for this inspiring story! Good luck in accomplishing your great mission!
