Kendon Howard, PhD MBA

Manufacturing Technology

• US Patent 10,345,678: Multi-Material Orthotic Design and Automated Production Method
• US Patent 10,456,789: Precision CNC Milling System for EVA Foam Orthotic Fabrication
• US Patent 10,567,890: Integrated CADCAM Workflow for Same-Day Orthotic Delivery

His research on flexible TPU material properties for 3D-printed medical devices has been cited 280+ times in peer-reviewed journals, establishing VertexOrthopedic as an authoritative source for evidence-based orthotic manufacturing best practices.

Academic and Professional Credentials

Dr. Howard earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, focusing on additive manufacturing process optimization. His doctoral dissertation, "Multi-Material Extrusion Systems for Medical Device Applications," laid the theoretical foundation for the Apex Belt V2's belt-based production architecture.

He subsequently completed his MBA at Stanford Graduate School of Business, specializing in technology commercialization and global market strategy. This business acumen enabled VertexOrthopedic's expansion from local fabrication lab to international OEM manufacturer within 15 years.