Blee ’11 helps company change focus from drones to badly-needed face shields

It was a conversation with a friend in New York that helped spur Nick Blee ’11 and his fellow co-founders of Sky People Consulting to direct their business toward providing protection to those fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The company was started by Blee and three of his friends from Red Wing, Minnesota in 2017 as a drone consulting firm. But since the virus began impacting the U.S. in full-force in mid-March, Sky People has shifted its focus toward the production of badly-needed face shields, which they then donate to organizations across the U.S.

Thus far, the company has donated roughly 12,000 shields to groups in Minnesota, New York, Illinois, Georgia and Arizona. That includes a donation of around 500 masks to the CSB/SJU community that are expected to be used by both the nursing department and the Saint John’s Abbey Retirement Center.

“Sometime in early March, we were talking to a friend of ours in New York who had finished medical school out there,” Blee said. “He had some pretty intense stories to share about the situation they were facing, including about the shortage of equipment. He said they’d been using garbage bags as masks because they didn’t have enough.

“We wanted to help, so we went to work on creating a design to produce shields ourselves. We figured anything we could come up with would be better than having to use garbage bags.”

The foursome – whose company is based out of Minneapolis – came up with a design using foam, rubber bands, double-sided electrical tape and laminating plastic that they were able to produce on machines at a shop in Red Wing.

“Our goal was to make something out of materials everybody has and that could be produced more quickly,” Blee said. “Our design was inspired by various groups (who were) 3D printing shields, but we knew that with a 3D printer, you’re looking at producing one shield every three hours or so. We wanted to find a way to have a larger impact than that.”

As word of their efforts has spread, Blee said requests have been pouring in from across the U.S. Earlier this month, Sky People partnered with New York State Sen. David Carlucci to deliver nearly 3,000 of the face shields to health care and mental health professionals in the state – including a delivery of 2,000 face shields to Rockland Psychiatric Center.

“I was instantly impressed,” Carlucci said in a press release announcing the donation.

“Sky People Consulting cold-called our office and just wanted to make sure their face shields got into health care workers hands. Thanks to my hardworking team, we got to work quickly identifying need, talking to purchasing directors and coordinating delivery. As chair of NYS Senate Mental Health Committee, I know there is significant need for PPE (personal protective equipment) in our psychiatric centers across the State. The men and women helping care for our most vulnerable are going above and beyond during this crisis, and I wanted to make sure they knew they were not forgotten. I wanted and needed to help. I am very thankful to Sky People Consulting for their generosity and partnership to help our mental health community."

Blee said the company has been manufacturing the face shields at their own expense, though donations and suggestions as to other organizations in need are being accepted on the company’s website.

He also credited his father Tom Blee ’91 with providing a huge boost when it comes to fundraising and prototyping. Tom Blee is an associate professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota and the director of Acute Care Surgery at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.

“We have a lot of demand right now, as you might expect,” Nick Blee said. “We’ll keep making them as long as we can. Some people have reached out and said they’ll pay us for these.

“Our response has been if they’d like to make a donation, that would be great. But we’ll get them a box either way.”

Kari Salzer, the director of monastery health services for the Saint John’s Abbey, thanked Blee for the donation, as well as other volunteers, the Saint John’s Preparatory School, members of the monastic community and various campus departments who have made or donated masks as well.

“Your generosity not only helps our community, it also shows the great volunteerism and how those continue to be connected even though they have physically left our community to pursue their careers,” Salzer said in a statement.

“Our staff and residents cannot thank you enough for thinking of us and our safety during these challenging times.”

The CSB/SJU nursing department expressed its gratitude as well.

“We are very thankful for the donation,” said nursing department chair and associate professor Julie Strelow. “As we plan for clinical experiences in the fall, it is comforting to know that the face shields will be available for students and faculty to use in various clinical experiences.”