Alumni Spotlight: Clay Andrews
For his Design Day project, Clay Andrews, Engr ’17, created a non-surgical medical device to treat nasal obstruction. His innovative solution to a common problem went on to become a commercially available product that led to the creation of Hale, a company that sells that device as an over-the-counter breathing aid.
Today, Andrews is one of two co-founders of Siligrams, a Boston-based company making custom silicone products from ice cube trays to baking molds that was featured on NBC’s TODAY show and ABC’s Good Morning America.
Design Day pairs engineering students with industry and Johns Hopkins mentors to solve real-world problems. You worked with Patrick Byrne of the School of Medicine. What challenge did you tackle?
In my senior year, it was finally my time to lead a design team, and I knew I wanted to choose a project that we could easily prototype and test. Patrick is an otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon who performs a lot of functional rhinoplasties, basically surgeries on the nose to improve breathing. A lot of people aren’t eligible for this surgery or think it’s too extreme or expensive as a solution to a chronically stuffy nose. We developed a simple device that fits ergonomically inside the nose. It applies gentle pressure to open nasal passages, mimicking the surgical procedure and achieving a similar outcome— albeit only temporarily, while the product is being worn. We used 3D printers and a liquid silicone casting material that allowed us to quickly iterate on its design.
How did Hopkins prepare you for entrepreneurship?
I’m grateful to everyone involved with the BME design team program, especially professors Elizabeth Logsdon, Nick Durr, and Robert Allen because they saw the promise in Hale and that I was passionate about it. They helped me secure a fellowship that made it possible for me to take a risk, turn down job offers, and pursue Hale after graduation. I don’t take that support for granted.
As Hale’s engineer, I developed the device, traveled across Asia to connect with the right manufacturer, and got Hale into production. I also managed patent filings, navigated the regulatory landscape, and coordinated clinical testing. Everything I learned at Hopkins—and specifically in the design program—set me in the right direction to figure these things out. Hale now has a new CEO and a new CMO, and they’re doing a fantastic job.
What led to your transition from a medical device company to the more consumer-focused Siligrams?
During the early part of the pandemic in 2020, we had to wait for Hale to get manufactured because of supply chain issues. At the time, I was in a Facebook group sharing recipes and photos of homemade food, desserts, and cocktails. Ben Shey, one of my best friends from high school, and I started making candy and ice molds in the shape of Baltimore icons like Mr. Trash Wheel and Natty Boh to share with the group. Other people started hearing about us, and our products started becoming popular in Baltimore.
We realized we could use 3D printing and liquid silicone—the same process that I was familiar with from the Hale prototyping—to make any kind of mold. We started developing soap, baking, and other molds that customers could personalize with their initials, logos, favorite emojis, inside jokes: whatever made it special to them or the person they were gifting it to. In the beginning, we were just two guys working in the basement in our spare time, and we couldn’t keep up with orders. Within six months, we realized that we needed to operate properly in a dedicated space.
How did you take Siligrams from a home-based operation to a full-time facility?
Silicone is a finicky material because it is very sensitive to humidity and temperature fluctuations. We needed to build a production space to control for tiny variabilities, and institute standards and specifications to control quality. Our current facility is housed in a renovated mill in the Boston area with a few thousand square feet of production floor and hundreds of 3D printers that run around the clock.
During the holiday season, we produce thousands of silicone items a day, and each one is personalized according to customer specifications. Getting all the options correct in terms of color, size, and design and then shipped to the correct person on time is more of a logistical challenge than we anticipated. The past four years have been about improving our IT infrastructure, equipment, processes, and training and onboarding. It’s been like a master’s degree in how to systematize a company.
What advice do you offer students preparing for Design Day or considering entrepreneurship?
When choosing a project, find a clinical partner who is truly committed. That was one of the biggest benefits of working with Patrick because he had been passionate about the concept for years. The other part is to make sure that your project has an achievable scope so that you and your team can remain motivated.
If a student is thinking about starting a company, then doing it right out of college may be the best time. I certainly did not have the financial means, experience, connections, or self-confidence to make launching and scaling Hale a slam dunk. But I also didn’t have a mortgage or kids to make me think twice about taking a risk. And after four years of Hopkins, I had a work ethic that might have deteriorated after a few years in a cushier 9 to 5. Although it was terrifying, I knew I would regret not trying. I’m so glad I did, because I surprised myself with what I was able to accomplish, and I’m grateful to Hopkins for the knowledge and opportunities that led me to this point.
The BME Undergraduate Design Team program supports 20 teams of undergraduates each year as they develop solutions to some of the most challenging and important healthcare needs in the world. The course ends when the students present their projects at the Whiting School of Engineering’s Design Day—an annual event showcasing students’ innovation and ability to translate theoretical knowledge into real-world solutions. This year’s event will be held on April 29.
This story originally appeared on Whiting School of Engineering’s website>>