YOU'VE
YOU'VE HEARD OF . LET'S GET STARTED. GOOD FRIDAY NIGHT,
FIRIENDS AS WE WAIT FOR A
VACCINE. A LOT OF US HAVE SPENT
MONTHS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO JUST
PROTECT OURSELVES AND OTHER
PEOPLE FROM GETTING COVID WHILE
NINETY FIVE MACS ARE VIRTUALLY
IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND IF YOU'RE NOT
HEALTH CARE . A LOCAL STARTUP
HAS DEVELOPED A PRETTY POPULAR
ALTERNATIVE, AS KENT EXPLAINS.
AND THIS MASK JUST GOT A PRETTY
HUGE ENDORSEMENT.
HUGE ENDORSEMENT. >> MY NAME IS MAX AND I FOUNDED
A COMPANY CALLED BREATHE NINETY
NINE . WHEN
>> WE FIRST INTRODUCE YOU TO MAX
BAUCUS ARONSEN IN APRIL, HE JUST
FINISHED DESIGNING A PRODUCT
THAT HAPPENED TO BE IN HIGH
DEMAND.
DEMAND.
DEMAND. >> A LIGHTWEIGHT REUSABLE
RESPIRATOR THAT FILTERS NINETY
NINE % OF COMMON CONTAMINANTS
AND IT ALSO REDUCES FILTER WASTE
AND COST. YOU'RE NOT THROWING
AWAY LARGE PARTS OF THE MASK
EVERY TIME YOU'RE ONLY DISPOSING
OF THIS SMALL PIECE
>> SEE IT PROVED POPULAR IS AN
UNDERSTATEMENT. JUST SIX MONTHS
LATER HIS B2 FACEMASK WENT FROM
KICKSTARTER TO THE COVER OF
TIME. WHAT
TIME. WHAT >> IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT MEAN
FOR A STARTUP COMPANY LIKE
YOURS? I CAN'T STRESS HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS IN TERMS
OF LENDING CREDIBILITY TO THE
WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. I MEAN
THERE ARE A LOT OF MASK OPTIONS
OUT THERE. WE ENCOURAGE
PEOPLE TO WEAR A CLOTH MASK OR
OTHER TYPES OF MASKS IN CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT ESPECIALLY IF
YOU'RE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR IF
YOU'RE GOING INTO AREAS WHERE
THE RISK LEVELS ARE HIGHER. YOU
KNOW, THOSE ARE THE TYPES
OF SCENARIOS THAT WE'RE
DESIGNING THIS MASK FOR AND SO
TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A MASK
THAT DOES MORE. THAT WAS
THE TITLE OF THE SECTION IN TIME
MAGAZINE, PART
MAGAZINE, PART >> OF THE REASON WHY MAX'S MASK
DOES MORE IS THAT IT WASN'T
DESIGNED WITH THE PANDEMIC
IN MIND.
IN MIND.
IN MIND. >> IDEA FOR THE PRODUCT WAS
ACTUALLY BORN OUT OF MY
EXPERIENCE STUDYING
EXPERIENCE STUDYING IN SINGAPORE, WHICH WAS BACK
WHEN I WAS IN UNIVERSITY.
IN THAT CONTEXT IT WAS MORE
ABOUT AIR POLLUTION
>> BUT IT DID CHANGE EVERYTHING.
A SUDDEN DEMAND FOR FILTERED
MASKS MAX HAD TO RETHINK
PRODUCTION. LUCKILY, SEVERAL
LOCAL MEDICAL DEVICE
MANUFACTURERS QUICKLY STEPPED
IN TO
IN TO
IN TO >>.
IN TO >>. WE'RE MANUFACTURING A FACE
PIECE HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES
AREA IN ST. PAUL. WE'RE
MANUFACTURING OVERLAYS IN NORTH
MINNEAPOLIS AND THE FILTERS
ARE IN THE GREATER METRO AREA.
ONE
ONE
ONE >>
ONE >> THING I'LL GIVE YOU INSTANT
CREDIT FOR IS THAT YOU'RE
WEARING GLASSES AND I DON'T SEE
STEAM COMING UP . SO THAT'S
HELPFUL. YEAH
HELPFUL. YEAH >>, ONE OF THE BIG BENEFITS
OF OUR MASK IS THAT BECAUSE
OF THE FACE PIECE YOU GET AN
AIRTIGHT SEAL THAT DOESN'T FOG
YOUR GLASSES. BUT MAX
>> SAYS THEY RECENTLY LEARNED
THE SEAL ISN'T AS AIRTIGHT
FOR THOSE WITH LARGER FACES. SO
HE'S ALSO MAKING IMPROVEMENTS
LIKE A BIGGER SIZE 3D KNITTED
OVERLAYS THAT ARE CUSTOMIZABLE
AND CUT DOWN ON FABRIC WASTE
AND A NEW INSERT THAT WILL
HELP WICK MOISTURE AWAY FROM
YOUR FACE . THIS IS WHAT I HAVE
IN MY MASK RIGHT NOW .
IT'S SHAPED SPECIFICALLY TO FIT
MY MASK. SO THIS IS JUST
A SAMPLE TO SORT OF SHOW IT CAN
ABSORB UP TO 20 TIMES ITS WEIGHT
IN WATER. AND SO THE RESULT IS
THAT THE MASK IS MUCH MORE
COMFORTABLE TO WEAR FOR LONGER
PERIODS OF TIME AND THAT INSERT
IS REALLY EASY TO TAKE OUT
AND TO WASH ALONG WITH THE REST
OF THE MASK BECAUSE
>> HE SAYS EVEN THE BEST
INVENTIONS CAN BE IMPROVED
>>. ARE OBJECTIVE REALLY IS
TO MAKE THE MOST PROTECTIVE MASK
THAT CAN BE WORN COMFORTABLY
DURING DAILY ACTIVITIES
>>. NOW IN CASE
>> YOU'RE WONDERING, THE B2 MASK
IS STILL ONLY AVAILABLE FOR SALE
ONLINE. YOU CAN GO TO THEIR
WEBSITE. IT'S ABOUT 60 BUCKS. SO
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT CHEAP.
BUT KEEP IN MIND YOU CAN WASH
AND REWIRE IT. THOSE FILTERS
ARE THE ONLY THINGS YOU NEED
TO REPLACE IN THAT 60 BUCKS
WILL GET YOU FIVE SETS OF THOSE.
SO LAST A WHILE AND IF COST IS
A CONSIDERATION, THEY
ARE WORKING WITH LOCAL
NONPROFITS TO HELP WORK
WITH THEM TO GET IT INTO
THE HANDS AND FACES OF THOSE
THAT REALLY NEED IT. THOSE
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS.
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS. CAN I IMAGINE STORIES LIKE
THE ONE IN TIME MAGAZINE
AND EVEN THE ONE YOU'RE DOING
TONIGHT WILL MEAN AN INCREASE
IN DEMAND? ARE THEY READY
FOR THAT KIND OF THING
>>? WELL , THEY'VE ALREADY SEEN
IT GENOLA AND THEY ARE READY
THERE. HE SAID THEY GOT A COUPLE
OF WEEKS TO RAMP UP A LITTLE BIT
AND THEY'RE HOLDING ON WITH WITH
THOSE ORDERS RIGHT. HE SAID
THEY'RE ALSO BEEN CONTACTED BY
SOME BUSINESSES, SOME LARGER
BUSINESSES AND A PARTICULAR PRO
SPORTS TEAM THAT THEY CAN'T
REALLY TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW .
IT'S LOOKING AT OUTFITTING ALL
OF THEIR PLAYERS SO THAT REALLY
FACTORS INTO THAT LARGER SIZE
ISSUE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE
WORKING ON. THEY SAID THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE THOSE OUT PROBABLY
EARLY