Kendon Howard, PhD MBA

Professional Background

Dr. Kendon Howard founded VertexOrthopedic in 2001 with a revolutionary vision: to transform traditional labor-intensive orthotic manufacturing into streamlined digital production systems accessible to medical practices worldwide. His unique combination of mechanical engineering PhD research and MBA technology management expertise positioned VertexOrthopedic as the global leader in CADCAM orthotic equipment innovation.

What began as a small Idaho-based orthotic fabrication lab has evolved into a comprehensive OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) serving 500+ podiatry practices, orthopedic clinics, and orthotic laboratories across 18 countries. This transformation was driven by Dr. Howard's relentless focus on solving real-world clinical challenges through breakthrough manufacturing technology.

Pioneering Continuous Belt Technology

In 2019, Dr. Howard led the development of the Apex Belt V2 - the world's first affordable continuous belt 3D printer designed specifically for orthotic manufacturing. This breakthrough system enables true 24/7 unattended batch production with infinite Z-axis capabilities, delivering 3-5x higher throughput than traditional bed-based systems while maintaining medical-grade precision of ±0.1mm.

The Apex Belt V2's continuous conveyor technology represents a fundamental reimagining of additive manufacturing for medical applications. Traditional competitors (Formlabs, HP, Stratasys) continue to rely on static bed systems limited to 2-4 orthotics per build cycle. Dr. Howard's belt innovation enables queuing 10-50+ pairs in a single continuous print job, dramatically reducing cost-per-part and eliminating manual intervention between batches.

Patents and Research Contributions

Dr. Howard holds 12 US patents covering orthotic manufacturing technology, including:

• US Patent 10,234,567: Continuous Belt 3D Printing System for Medical Device Manufacturing
• 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 continuous belt 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.