Three Strands Recovery Wear
Name: Leah Wyrick
Company: Three Strands Recovery Wear
Email: [email protected]
Management
Leah Wyrick – CEO & Founder
Wake Forest University School of Business ‘22
Emily Clark
WFU Spring/Summer Intern ‘23
Haley Genta
WFU Spring Intern ‘23
Key Advisors/Board Members
Dr. Samuel Roy – Medical Advisor
Dr. Andy Schneider- Medical Advisor
Julia Townsend – Marketing Advisor
Bonnie Bowen – Financial Advisor
Industry
Fashion/Medical Device Industry
Year Founded
2019
Number of Employees
1 Full Time
2 Part Time Interns
Current Investors
100% Bootstrapped
Monthly Burn Rate
Financing Sought
$350K
Use of Funds
10% Product Development
10% Legal & Regulatory
10% Miscellaneous
30% Inventory & Operations
40% Marketing/Sales
Business Description
Three Strands Recovery Wear is a B2B and DTC recovery garment company with a current focus on post-surgical bras for breast cancer and cosmetic breast surgery procedures.
Company Background
Three Strands was founded by Leah in 2018, shortly after her mother’s diagnosis with breast cancer. Her mother underwent a mastectomy and three other subsequent surgeries due to post- surgical complications. During her mother’s recovery, Leah saw first-hand the complications her mother endured with drains and bra discomfort and became inspired to help others that may have a similar experience due to the lack of advancements in today’s surgical bras.
Problem/Solution
Today, the lack of advancements within the post- surgical recovery bra industry has resulted in mediocre products with limited features that only do the bare minimum for patients undergoing breast surgery. Patients have all they need for a thorough and controllable recovery thanks to the Resilience Bra’s feature-rich design. Empathy, attention to detail, and engagement with patients and physicians are all values that Three Strands aspires to uphold when producing recovery garment products.
Products/Services
Three Strands Recovery Wear sells the patent- pending Resilience Bra, an innovative and revolutionary post-operative bra for mastectomy, reconstruction, reduction, and any other breast cosmetic procedures. The Resilience Bra includes many unique features that are not found on current products in the market to help aid in the recovery of each patient. These features include adjustable bands & shoulder straps, drain pockets, drain tubing management, and internal compartments.
Technologies/Special Know-how
The Resilience Bra was developed with physician and patient participation to ensure that everything a patient needs for a proper and managed recovery is included in its design. It will enable doctors to provide their patients with a bra they can rely on while enabling patients to feel in charge and in control, which improves their ability to heal and increase their comfort and confidence.
Markets
Patients who have undergone breast surgery and private practice plastic surgeons make up Three Strands Recovery Wear’s target market. Since most plastic surgery practices are located in the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle areas of North Carolina, we want to concentrate our efforts there. Every year, one million breast operations, including those for breast cancer and cosmetic reasons, are performed in the United States. Regardless of the type of breast surgery, every patient requires a recovery bra, and the majority will buy between two and three bras after their procedure. According to our projections, we will be able to earn between $17 and $40 million by capturing 10% to 30% of the recovery wear market.
Competition
Today, our top competitors are Marena, Caromed, and Amoena. Studying the recovery market, and speaking with both patients and physicians, I have found that our competitors top selling mastectomy bras lack significant advancements in design, comfort, and features. Companies today have become complacent with products they sell; however, Three Strands has differentiated itself by providing customers with a unique bra with wide-ranging features and colorful designs to enhance a patient’s healing, comfort, and confidence.
Business Model and Distribution Channels
For the Resilience Bra, Three Strands anticipates two main distribution channels: DTC via our e- commerce platform and B2B to private practices, hospitals, and mastectomy shops. We plan to start with plastic surgeons as they allow us access into to the hospitals where breast surgeries are performed, hospital boutiques, and patients that will help validation of our product to promote through our DTC channel.