Our Story
Several years ago, as smartphone usage was emerging as a lifestyle norm, we recognized that there had to be a better way for users to hang on to their phones while manipulating them for texting and other purposes. On the streets of New York City, we had become all too accustomed to watching smartphones (often uncased) go flying onto sidewalks and subway car and bus floors. And, it was all too common for us to see people using phones whose screens had been shattered by a drop. We began to think about creating a device that would enable multi-tasking smartphone users to grasp their devices more securely with one hand only while making them easier to use.
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At about this same time, articles in the media were beginning to discuss the various types of injuries reported to occur to the fingers, hand, wrist, neck and elsewhere due to excessive smartphone use.
Given our background in ergonomics both through education and career experience, we set about to devise a product that would both satisfy the need for phone safety as well as enabling smartphones to be used in a more ergonomically effctive and safe way. Thus was born the OrthoText™ device which, in a way proven by research, uniquely utilizes a slide-mouned elastic ''flextheter'', or ''sling'', to accomplish these goals.
So , Let's Get Started!
We invite you to dig further into our website to learn more, much more, about the OrthoText™.
Next
Learn how our ergonomic research investigation has demonstrated that users prefer the OrthoText™ due to its greater comfort and ease of use…
And Finally
See how you too can use the OrthoText™…
Product Showcase
Discover the innovative features that make OrthoText™ the ultimate phone accessory! ✨
The Complete System
When all components work together, you get the ultimate phone experience. Secure grip, ergonomic comfort and safety, wireless charging compatibility, and drop protection—all in one revolutionary system.
The Tether
Our flexible, ergonomic flex-tether keeps your phone secure without straining your hand. Designed for smooth one-handed use, it springs into action when you need it and rests flat when you don't.
The OrthoText™ Body
The heart of OrthoText™—3D-printed for precision, shaped for comfort, and engineered to align perfectly with your grip. Built to last, yet light enough to feel invisible in use.
The Case
Custom-fit for style and function. The OrthoText™ case integrates seamlessly with your phone, giving you drop protection, wireless charging compatibility, and the perfect base for your OrthoText™ Body and Tether.
What The OrthoText™ Is
Discover the revolutionary technology that's changing how we hold our phones! ✨
Ergonomics, by its basic definition, has as a goal the fitting of a human to a machine, with the smartphone in our case being the “machine.” So, just how should we ergonomically best connect a person to her or his smartphone, with a special focus on the one-handed use of a phone? One Apple store employee we encountered offered a possible solution: he said that “if people could put a spike through the smartphone and into their hands they would do it.” We think we have a better ergonomic solution, and that is through the use of a smartphone assistive device which we call the OrthoText™.
To find a successful ergonomic solution to deal with potential smartphone-related injury issues we need to understand what the stresses to the body are that must in some way be addressed. We have the issue of excessive grip force when the hand (especially the smaller hand) must hold and protect a smartphone against dropping while at the same time trying to manipulate it, particularly when extreme hand, finger, wrist and arm movements are necessary to reach all areas of the phone screen. And it is these extreme movements and motions we especially wish to minimize. We must seek also to find a way to reduce the frequency of movement through improvements in accuracy and user efficiency to accomplish any given smartphone task, such as texting.
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The effects of gravity also need to be to counteracted—we do not want the phone to fall to the ground, but we do not want to have to use the pinky to support the phone and we do not want to have to resort to poor posture by having to hold the phone horizontally for safety.
We believe the OrthoText™ design helps us deal with all these issues. Its design is one of simplicity, and simple is often the best when it comes to an ergonomic solution.
The key feature of the OrthoText™ is it's elastic "flex-tether," or "sling." This tether joins the hand to the smartphone when the finger(s) are inserted between it and the body of the OrthoText™. The tether allows for a maximum degree of freedom of movement to the hand and fingers So, the hand and phone together feel as one, comfortable but secure. Try it and you will see how the OrthoText™ can perform its own little bit of magic!!
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How The OrthoText™ Works
You should be getting the drift of our message by now:
Too much smartphone use can lead to…
too much stress on the hand, wrist, arm, neck and beyond…
which can lead to discomfort, fatigue, pain and more!
Such issues are especially likely to happen if you are using too tight a grip on your phone, or putting your hand, fingers (especially your thumb), wrist and arm into awkward, cramped, and overly unnatural positions — and doing all this over and over and over again. We call these negative health effects Repetitive Motion Injuries, or “RMIs.”
Remember, the human hand was not built for the smartphone. These are new devices, in turn causing new health concerns. This is where the OrthoText™ comes in with its goal to address these issues. Keep reading to learn how.
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By slipping your finger(s) through the flexible elastic tether of the OrthoText™ (we suggest inserting the middle finger only or if you prefer, both the ring and middle fingers) you have connected yourself to your phone. You are connected securely enough that you will not drop your phone. But notice how comfortable, “light” and “loose” this connection really is — with the OrthoText™ you can keep your hand fully relaxed and still have control over the phone.
This is the key… you will no longer need to grip your phone tightly by extending your fingertips across the back of the phone to its far edge, something especially hard to do if you are using a “plus” size phone or if you have a bulky phone case. And on top of that, having to maintain a tight grip acts to immobilize your hand, thus limiting your thumb’s ability to reach all areas of your phone’s screen.
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So already we have found a way to reduce grip forces and the resulting pressure on your hand, fingers, and thumb. And you will find you are able to keep your wrist loose and in an ergonomically better, more natural and unstrained alignment.
Many researchers have identified what, for the thumb, are considered hard to reach 'strain' areas on the smartphone screen. Such areas are shown in the picture to the right for the typical right-handed user. Note that these strain zones are located both near (lower right corner) and far (upper left corner).
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Now, this is where the OrthoText™’s advantages really come to the fore. However deeply you choose to insert your finger(s) through its tether (this is a matter of personal preference – whatever feels most comfortable and secure to you), something magic happens. First, in the picture to the left below, notice how your finger(s) so easily seem to support the weight of the phone (some say the phone will actually feel lighter). And especially notice how far away from the phone edge the palm of your hand and your thumb are able to sit. This is a great benefit because now you can swing the palm of your hand at about 45° to the vertical (with your phone screen in a horizontal position) and your thumb—without having to be placed in a cramped position—can in consequence easily reach the close-in lower right “strain” area show. So, one problem solved!
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Now, rotate your palm all the way to the vertical (i.e., at a right angle) as the picture on the right above shows. This brings your thumb more directly over the top of the screen. Check out how with relaxed ease you can, with your thumb, find any area of your phone screen including the remote upper left strain area. It is as if your thumb has grown longer!! And it has — figuratively speaking that is. So, second problem solved!
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Okay, that all sounds great. So what else do we need to know?
When you have to reach across the phone screen to its far dimensions you are increasing what is known as the thumb’s “target distance,” and research has shown that the accuracy of your operation (e.g. ,when texting) of the phone will decrease. The OrthoText™, for the reasons described above, effectively reduces the thumb’s target distance as an added bonus. So, for texting or whatever else you wish to do you should expect fewer mistakes. And this benefit will be even more evident for those, including especially the elderly who are inherently less digitally dexterous!
Well, notice how with the OrthoText™ your fingers are unbound movement-wise by the flexible tether. All your fingers, including those beneath the tether, are still able to rotate and slip along the back of your phone as your changing hand and thumb positions dictate they must do when using the phone. All of this will happen in a relaxed, unstrained manner (unlike with many other phone holders currently on the market). The bottom line is that with the OrthoText™, your fingers will have to move less frequently with less distance to have to travel, and with less pressure and stress.
Elsewhere on this website, we talk about repetitive motion injuries that can occur beyond the hand, including the wrist, arm, shoulder and neck. The advantages of the OrthoText™ as described above can help reduce injury to these areas as well. Try to reach the near and far strain areas without the OrthoText™ and you are going to find yourself putting your hand and wrist (and even your arm all the way up to and including your shoulder) into contorted, awkward and unnatural positions.
Why You Need the OrthoText™
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Now, we know you all have heard at least something about the risk of injury due to excessive smartphone use. Perhaps you’ve heard about this from your friends–or maybe you have experienced such issues for yourself! If not, it’s possible you have read or heard talk of this in the media where the subject has been covered extensively in the past. Even today new such reports continue to show up.
So, we know there is some truth to this injury issue. Orthopedists have been reporting on patients suffering from repetitive trauma related to smartphone use, and the same has been true within the community of physical therapists and other related health professionals. On top of this, numerous academic studies by medical and ergonomic experts have reported findings suggesting a linkage between smartphone overuse and physical injury, especially where texting is involved.
But, if you have any doubts about this, bring up the issue with your friends and acquaintances. You’ll be surprised at what you hear, with stories about aches, pain and discomfort that they have experienced. Maybe some have even searched for medical help to deal with their symptoms.
Have you heard the term “Text-, or Tech Neck?” How about “iHunch?” Maybe “Cellphone, or Texters Thumb” rings a bell. Well, we want to help educate you about each of these potential risks associated with smartphone use.
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So, Let’s Get Started. By scrolling further you can learn much more about these 3 illustrations and the highlighted stress zones. We will tell you how the OrthoText™ helps smartphone users in trying to forestall any adverse medical issues from ever developing. Our device has been ergonomically designed to help make your use of a smartphone more secure, more efficient and less risky in terms of potential injury, and this is especially the case for those who are using their smart phones in a one-handed manner as is so frequently necessary in this world of busyness and multi-tasking!
Textitis: The Modern Epidemic
Understanding and preventing smartphone-related thumb injuries! 📱
Whether through articles you’ve read in the popular press or on the web, discussions you’ve had with friends and family, or even through your own personal experience, you are by this time probably aware of the potential for smartphones to cause injury to the hand (and especially to the thumb), wrist, arm and neck. Perhaps you are familiar with the terms used to describe such injuries, including “iPhoneitis”, “Texters Thumb”, “Text Neck” and the like. We’re going to lump all these types of injuries together broadly using the term “Textitis”—a name you may also have seen used.
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Such injuries may appear on a continuum starting with mere discomfort, followed by fatigue, aches and soreness, burning and tenderness, and numbness and tingling. Outright pain progressing toward some form of disability may come next for some overly-frequent smartphone users.
How Can This Happen? The human hand, wrist, and arm are extraordinarily complex assemblages of soft and deep tissue, muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones and joints. Injuries to these parts can occur when they are overused. We refer to this damage as “Repetitive Motion Injuries,” or “RMIs.
Now just grab your smartphone in one hand and proceed with what you normally do with it — texting, emailing, surfing the Web or just playing games. Notice how much coordinated movement takes place with your hand generally, including your fingers (but especially your all-important thumb) and, as well with your wrist, lower arm, shoulder and neck area. And think about how many such movements you might make over hours and hours of daily phone use!
And the issue of injury potential does not just relate to the frequency and duration of these hand movements. It has also to do with the amount of stress applied to the hand. This is why the term “Repetitive Stress Injuries” (“RSI’s”), is often used.
How can this stress be created? Well, through excessively forceful gripping of your phone needed to hold it securely. Also, stress is caused during unnatural, awkward positioning of your fingers, thumb, hand and wrist in manipulating the phone. Excessive travel of your thumb, both near and far to what are termed the “strain” areas of your phone screen — especially if you’re using a larger “plus” size phone or “phablet” now popular — also can take its toll.
So, as before, just grab your phone, start using it as you normally might, and pay close attention to when and where your hand may feel some discomfort—small “tweaks” or perhaps even sensations of pain—when you try to move your hand to a position it doesn’t really want to be in.
So, too much movement too forcefully and too frequently for too much time during the day, coupled with hand positionings that are too awkward, misaligned, extreme and unnatural can be a certain recipe for problems!
This is Where Ergonomics Comes Into Play…
Simply put, ergonomics is the art and science involving matching a machine to the human user. So as ergonomists, how do we better connect the smartphone user to her phone so as to reduce this potential for RMI’s?
In the design of the OrthoText™, through its positioning on the side of the phone, and it’s unique use of a flexible elastic tether, we believe we have found a viable answer to help reduce injury potential. To do so the OrthoText™, with the ring and middle fingers or middle finger alone passed between phone and tether, allows for a relaxed use of the hand with full freedom for the digits to move and reach where they need to for easy phone use. A greater range of motion of the thumb in particular is facilitated, minimizing the need for its movement into the “strain” zones of your phone screen. Awkward positioning is also minimized. And the need to grip the phone forcefully or otherwise, is eliminated. All these positive attributes of the OrthoText™ reduce stress!
And because the unstrained reach of the thumb to near and far screen positions is enhanced, accuracy in texting will be improved as studies have shown because the tip of the thumb can be pointed down more vertically to the plane of the screen. Reducing the need to make repeated corrections helps reduce the number of “motions,” and from what we have said before, this is a definite plus in reducing RMI’s.
iPhone 'Pinky': A Growing Concern
Protecting your smallest finger from smartphone damage! 🤏
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We all know how to support a smartphone by creating something of a “ledge” with our pinky finger when using the phone with only one hand. This trick comes rather naturally to us, and it seems to work very well except for the concerning issue some refer to as “iPhone Pinky”.
The mere weight of a smartphone (particularly those in which heavy cases or battery packs are attached) bearing down on the pinky from the narrow, hard phone edge can create a “dent” in the pinky’s soft tissue. Some feel this is only a temporary, reversible problem. Others feel, however, that beyond mere soft tissue impact there is a possibility that the underlying bone/joint complex may suffer a permanent deformation with repeated, continued use into the future.
There is no reason for this to have to happen. Rather, with the OrthoText™ the weight of the phone rests on the finger(s) which are inserted through the tether. This weight, rather than being concentrated on the pinky tissue at the hard phone edge, is gently transferred over broader area of the tissue of the fingers by way of the soft and flexible tether, and the location of that pressure is variable on the tissue as the fingers move freely beneath the tether.
So, no matter that the iPhone pinky issue may be temporary or permanent, the OrthoText™ will help with this issue. And, the other ergonomic advantage offered by the OrthoText™ is that the pinky no longer has to be fixed in position at the lower edge of the phone. When the pinky is so fixed, the reach of the thumb to all areas of the phone screen is hampered, and this may cause excessive strain on the thumb and beyond as discussed elsewhere within this website.
These photos show what we are talking about. Man, these pinkys sure come in handy — but they shouldn’t be used this way!
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And, this photo shows graphic evidence of a (permanently??) dented/deformed pinky.
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Text Neck: The Posture Epidemic
Straightening out smartphone-induced neck problems! 📱➡️👤
None of us are strangers to the admonishment sit up or stand up “straight.” It is long been recognized implicitly that poor posture is not good for you. Now there is a modern-day reason for your poor posture, and that, of course, has to do with smartphone use.
Just have a look at the photos below. These folks are bent over staring at their phone screens in a position often referred to as “iHunch.” We all do this and it is difficult to avoid. First, it is more natural for us to want to hold our phones near tummy level with our upper arms held vertically downward. We should be holding our phones up near eye level, but this is more tiring as our arms try to fight gravity.
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Hover over the pictures below to use our virtual X-ray machine and see the neck position of people using their phones! ✨🔍
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Tap to reveal! 👆
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Tap to reveal! 👆
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Tap to reveal! 👆
And, there is another reason why we hold our phones low—this way our phones rest safely in the palm of our hands with the screen oriented horizontally. So, less risk of dropping our phones!
Well, that is all great, except the obvious safety risks of walking with your head tilted down may one day lead you to walk into traffic or a telephone pole, or cause your fellow pedestrians no end of aggravation as they skirt around you trying to avoid a head on collision!
And, there is also a host of adverse health effects—some subtle and some not so subtle—that can be caused by the poor hunched posture, and this is what is widely referred to as “Text,” or “Tech Neck.” Text Neck generally refers to a variety of issues that can arise in the upper back and neck area; this may simply be discomfort or a feeling of fatigue. The added stress of holding your head forward in an awkward neck flexion may also lead to muscle strain and then pain and even musculoskeletal injury.
So, this is where the OrthoText™ comes into the picture. By inserting your fingers through the tether, you are able to raise the phone at or near eye level. Doing this reduces your “hunch” and the tilt of your head. But in this position you need to bring the surface of your phone to a more vertical, rather than horizontal orientation. Ordinarily, you would be apt to drop the phone. With the secure connection to your phone offered by the OrthoText™, you will not be so likely to lose control of the phone, and you will be able to text and perform other operations on the phone all with one hand while your other hand remains free to hold that cup of coffee—or whatever else!
Indeed, a recently-released article refers to a “silent pandemic that is reshaping our spine” given the accelerating pace of addictive smartphone usage among teens and young adults in particular. Problems being observed include the development of early-onset spinal and cervical disc degeneration, spinal misalignment, and osteoarthritis.
Our Research Study
Scientific validation of the OrthoText™'s ergonomic advantages! 🔬📱
Introduction
To test the OrthoText™ as a means of demonstrating its ergonomic advantages and general utility in enhancing the use of the cell phone, and as well to certify the various claims made in our patents, we asked Dr. Eunsik Kim, Ph.D. and Assistant Professor in Mechanical, Automotive & Materials Engineering at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada, to undertake a broad research study at the University’s Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (“OSE”) Laboratory. This Laboratory was founded in 2018 by Dr. Kim as a research group devoted to conducting studies in the fields of human factors and ergonomics, biomechanics, human-machine interfacing and gamification.
The full text of the OSE’s September 2022 research report is provided herein. In addition to this report, the OSE has produced a video describing in briefer detail the basic elements of its study and its findings and conclusions. This video may be accessed from the homepage to this website.
It should be noted that this investigation was the very first of its kind to study the ergonomic performance of grip devices, or holders, during one-handed smartphone usage.
Summary to the Study Findings
The OrthoText™ was evaluated against the use of a smartphone without the aid of any assisting device, as well as against one of the most popular such devices available on the market today. In general, the OrthoText™ outperformed these other alternatives across a broad range of phone task and ergonomic challenges, and when looked at from the standpoints of usability, user preference and comfort.
Specifically, among study participants:
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The OrthoText™ was found to be the most comfortable by far in the one-handed use of the smartphone.”
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Past academic research has suggested that a more comfortable device is a superior one ergonomically.* Indeed, ergonomics has been described as “the science of making things comfortable,” and to that extent the OrthoText™ has done well in our study to pass this test. The greater degree of comfort shown to be offered by the OrthoText™ makes the undesirable transitioning toward discomfort and musculoskeletal injury a more remote and unlikely possibility. The OrthoText™, in short, is a better “health protector and maintainer” as a smartphone assistive device.
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The OrthoText™ was found to be most “preferred” as a means of facilitating smartphone use. Indeed, study participants were more likely to recommend the OrthoText™ to family and friends. This is not an unexpected finding as the greater comfort level of the OrthoText™ sends a strong message regarding its consumer acceptance potential.
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Both satisfaction with, as well as ease in the use of, the OrthoText™ were found to be greatest.
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Both speed as well as accuracy were reported to be improved to the greatest degree through the use of the OrthoText™ in typing, tapping and scrolling tasks.
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Similarly, both speed and accuracy were reported best through use of the OrthoText™ in gaming exercises.
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The OrthoText™ provided study participants with the greatest level of security and confidence that they would not drop their phones.
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The reach and range of motion of the thumb to cover all areas of the screen of even the largest “plus-sized” test phone was by far greatest through use of the OrthoText™. (By serving to be most effective in extending the reach of the thumb, the OrthoText™ does the most effective job in eliminating all the areas on the smartphone screen considered to be undesirable “strain zones,” making it the ergonomically safer alternative. This advantage was at its greatest when participants were walking while using their smartphones with one hand, meaning the OrthoText™ would excel at allowing users to multitask in the real day-to-day world.)
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The OrthoText™ provided the highest level of comfort to the hand, thumb, wrist, neck and shoulder areas during the study's lengthy gaming exercise.
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As a general trend, the OrthoText™ outperformed as the prefered assistive device across a broad range of smartphone task challenges encompassed within the scope of the research investigation. (Stated another way, there were no negative findings associated with the use of the OrthoText™ when compared to using a phone with no assistive device or with one of the most popular such devices currently widely sold.)
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In his conclusions to the study, Dr. Kim states that he recommends the OrthoText™: because it allows for a greater range of thumb motion; because of its advantages in improving the usability of a smartphone; because study participants preferred its use; and because of its ability to reduce the risk factors associated with musculoskeletal injury.
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*It has been hypothesized that perceived muscular tension, and perceptions of exertion and comfort, are early signs of musculoskeletal disorders. See below for the full study report.
Our Utility Patents
Protecting innovation through comprehensive intellectual property coverage! 📋✨
Owing to the unique nature of the design of the OrthoText™, and in recognition of the ergonomic claims made in the patent application concerning its ability to ameliorate repetitive stress injuries during smartphone use, the United States Patent Office has awarded us two patents.
The first patent, No. U.S. 10,447,831, covers the basic design of the OrthoText™ in terms of its employment of a side-mounted flexible tether to provide a handhold from user to smartphone.
The second patent, No. U.S. 10,277,724, covers the special case in which the OrthoText™ joins the smartphone by way of connection to a specially-designed screen protector covering.
By clicking below you will be able to access the relevant summary detail from each patent.
Who We Are
Meet the passionate innovators behind OrthoText™! ✨
Behind every great innovation is a passionate team dedicated to making a difference. Meet the visionaries who brought OrthoText™ to life through years of research, development, and unwavering commitment to ergonomic excellence.
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Peter M. Roncetti
At the Liberty Mutual Research Center, Peter collaborated in his early career with those doing research in the areas of ergonomic and industrial health. Later while getting his Master of Science degree within the department of Environmental Health Sciences at the Harvard School of Public Health, Peter studied ergonomics. Peter enjoyed a subsequent career at Chevron and Bestfoods, applying himself toward lessening ergonomic risks to those working in their manufacturing plants. Peter retired from Bestfoods as Senior Director, Environmental and Occupational Health.
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Robert S. Gluck
Robert 'Bob' Gluck is an accomplished business development and corporate finance professional who had held senior level executive positions at a number of large multinational companies (i.e., Bestfoods Inc,. Unilever, Inc.) as well as smaller, emerging growth companies (i.e., Smart Balance, Inc.). Bob currently offers M&A and business development consulting services through his firm Matthew Robert Associates, LLC, as well as managing a branded and private label sparkling juice business. Bob Gluck's Linked In profile is highlighted below:
OrthoText™ Advisory Board
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Authorized OrthoText™ Distributors
Click to Learn More!
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Contact Us
Contact Bob Gluck at rsgluck3@aol.com or 1-732-890-8163 for information on distributorship and/or licensing opportunities.
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