Jorge A. Machado, CEO & Co-Founder, Wise Protec

True entrepreneurs area rare breed. They don’t follow the herd and just accept things the way they are. Instead, they look for ways to make changes for the better. They believe “impossible” is just an opinion, not a fact. Thus, no matter how set in stone an industry maybe, they set out to challenge the status quo, disrupt the business model, and bring change through their dedicated endeavors with a deliberate pursuit to make people’s lives easier. Despite the inherent risk that comes with pushing boundaries, they take the challenges by the scruff of the neck and break the mold to create something innovative and make a difference in the world. One such decisive entrepreneur who is creating a difference in the healthcare sector with his passion for value creation, cultural transformation, and business model disruption is Jorge A. Machado.

“Challenging the status quo is always hard. More often than not decision-makers are not even aware that a superior solution to their needs exists. Additionally, legislation and regulation are often outdated and it takes significant amounts of data and consensus to adopt it to a better reality, but it is an effort worth pursuing because it ultimately benefits everyone,” opines Jorge. 

Jorge’s career has been centered on reshaping the apparel and fashion industries, driving it into a more connected, digital, and sustainable future. It was during the first year of his professional journey  when Jorge realized that most organizations lack the drive and culture to improve their methods, processes, and products in a meaningful way. So, he decided to take on the plunge and leverage the market opportunity. He found that it is a lot easier for a large organization to implement a concept that is already proven rather than going in search of that knowledge, hoping it will fit a future need. This market insight combined with his passion for driving and leading textile and apparel innovation propelled him to begin Wise Protec, a European innovation company focused on developing the best face mask with improved safety, wearability, and durability. 

Creating the Best Social Mask Available On the Market

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, face masks have become a fact of everyday life worldwide. Thus, to provide the utmost safety to people around the world, Wise Protec has been relentlessly working to create and launch the best social mask available on the market bycombining a variety of the latest innovative technologies.

“Typically, when a product is developed there are parameters that excel and others where compromises are made. We made sure that on a pandemic year where our device could save lives we would not accept any compromise and wanted to score top marks in every attribute. Safety, technology, comfort, sustainability, durability, product appearance, consumer information, and price were all areas where we did not stop until we had best in class attributes,” elucidates Jorge.

Today, Wise Protec offers a multi-layered face mask with leading filtration properties, enhanced with technology that is able to eliminate SARS-CoV-2 as well as dozens of other captured viruses and microorganisms, but that is light and extremely breathable. On top of that now it uses recycled components and moisture management features for superior comfort on long usages.  Some of its products are even infused with vitamin E and Ubiquinol Q10 to help repair and nourish the skin of the user. 

Taking the Concepts of Wise Protec to a Whole New Level

Interacting with physicians and scientists over the past months, Jorge realized there is a deficit of comfortable medical uniforms on the market. “Imagine all the health workers that spend more than 12 hours in stiff and uncomfortable clothing, sometimes having to perform exams and activities that require them to move into difficult positions and their outfit creates an additional barrier to an already difficult and stress intense job,” asserts Jorge. To address and eliminate these struggles, Jorge is launching Weft Scrubs, an exceptionally comfortable scrubs with great durability and enhanced performance.

Wefty Scrubs are designed to not only just offer superior comfort to the healthcare professional but also positively impact entire ecosystems. It addresses the sustainability crisis our planet is facing through very smart engineering and product development. Every single aspect of its processes is designed to minimize the environmental footprint. The company also teaches its consumers to take advantage of its technologies and reduce their own environmental footprint by washing the scrubs less frequently than otherwise. “By washing our scrub according to our recommendations, a single scrub will save an equivalent quantity of water that a family drinks in over a year. It is very meaningful. On top of all, we have designed very smart-looking scrubs and we will launch new color options on a monthly basis. We really want our healthcare professionals to want to proudly use their scrubs on every occasion,” adds Jorge.

Providing Unique Value to Customers

What makes Wise Protec different is that it provides unique value to its customers. It serves the end consumer of its product via its D2C websites, and it partners with National Health Services to promote and drive innovation and sustainability throughout its network. A great example of such cooperation is the work it is doing with the UK’s NHS in the pursuit of a more sustainable and eco-friendly reality. 

Under the insightful leadership of Jorge, Wise Protec is also working with leading hospitals and clinics in E.U. to replicate the same ideas at a local level and is open to additional partnerships with institutions that want to improve the quality of their products and reduce their environmental impact.

Bequeathing the Keys to Success

Hailing from a business family, entrepreneurship was a natural outcome for Jorge. But it’s his inherent passion and unwavering commitment to value creation that led his path to success.  Being a successful leader, his advice to aspiring and budding entrepreneurs is to stay surrounded by an environment and culture that promotes success. “The world is very competitive but it also very connected, good ideas are grown exponentially but the competition is also fiercer than ever. You need to be relentless in your drive to succeed and being in an environment that nourishes those feelings brings a great competitive advantage,” affirms Jorge on a concluding note.