{"podcast":{"title":"NC Tweener Talks","slug":"nc-tweener-talks-7053588","podcast_index_feed_id":7053588,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/triangle-tweener-talks","website_url":"http://www.tweenertalks.com","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/9aT0T2c4UZ-gsEZYm2CzGW4xqhiP5yWQBs5vC31qklI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80NjBh/YWVhZTA4ZTUyY2Fl/MDdhNzQwZWFhNDI4/MDc3Zi5wbmc.jpg","author":"Scot Wingo","episode_count":96,"summary":"A podcast for builders by builders in North Carolina. We explore the startup journey and stories with NC founders, from the idea to the exit and everything in between. NC Tweener Talks is hosted by Scot Wingo, presented and produced by NC Tweener Fund, with creative assets and design support from Walk West.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-11T14:17:12.741034+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nc-tweener-talks-7053588"},"episode":{"title":"From Duke Football to 3D-Printed Medical Devices: How PROTECT3D Scaled Mass Customization with Kevin Gehsmann","slug":"from-duke-football-to-3d-printed-medical-devices-how-protect3d-scaled-mass-customization-with-kevin-gehsmann","published_at":"2026-03-05T07:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nc-tweener-talks-7053588/from-duke-football-to-3d-printed-medical-devices-how-protect3d-scaled-mass-customization-with-kevin-gehsmann","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nc-tweener-talks-7053588","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/c7fff611","audio_url":"https://media.transistor.fm/c7fff611/3054a7d8.mp3","summary":"In this episode, we unpack how a college capstone project turned into a scalable system for custom-fit 3D-printed bracing, moving from “hours in CAD” to minutes with automated design templates. We get into the origin story, the technology moat, go-to-market evolution, fundraising, and the founder mindset required to stay in the game. Highlights covered How PROTECT3D started with a custom brace for a Duke teammate Why “one-size-fits-none” is the real problem in bracing The core workflow: iPhone scan → automated digital design → 3D print How they reduced design time from 5+ hours to under 5 minutes Material/printing approaches and why they use multiple technologies Scaling from sports to insurance-reimbursable clinical products Expansion into military / defense applications via non-dilutive funding Founder lessons: failing fast, surviving COVID-era building, and grit Kevin’s advice to younger founders: keep going, the grind is the game Custom-fit should be the norm, and PROTECT3D is building the rails to make that possible at scale. If you’re a founder working at the intersection of software + real-world manufacturing, this one is packed with practical lessons and a lot of heart. Timestamps: 00:04:29 — Kevin’s background: Greensboro → Duke mechanical engineering + football 00:05:43 — The spark: 3D-printing a custom brace for an injured teammate 00:06:37 — “One-size-fits-none”: why off-the-shelf bracing fails most bodies 00:10:23 — Turning it into a real company through Duke I&E + early traction 00:12:21 — Early funding: friends & family + NC IDEA Micro Grant path 00:16:45 — The modern 3-step process: app scan → digital fabrication → 3D print 00:17:11 — From traveling to scan athletes… to scanning with an iPhone app 00:23:29 — Scaling breakthrough: design time dro…","meta_description":"In this episode, we unpack how a college capstone project turned into a scalable system for custom-fit 3D-printed bracing, moving from “hours in CAD” to m…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2647,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nc-tweener-talks-7053588/episodes/from-duke-football-to-3d-printed-medical-devices-how-protect3d-scaled-mass-customization-with-kevin-gehsmann/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nc-tweener-talks-7053588/from-duke-football-to-3d-printed-medical-devices-how-protect3d-scaled-mass-customization-with-kevin-gehsmann.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}