Dave Johnson is the CEO and founder of Icarus Medical Innovations. Dave suffers from early-onset knee arthritis and realized there are no effective ways to manage this problem. Dave is an avid snowboarder and kiteboarder but could no longer do these activities due to severe knee pain.
Determined to stay active, Dave, an engineer, fabricated a brace with homemade torsion springs in the hinges to assist and mechanically unload the knee. Icarus was born from this creation, as well as a new and disruptive way of making a range of orthopedic braces that are customized from an iPhone scan and 3D-printed. Dave has bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Tulane University and the University of Virginia.
Prior to launching Icarus, Dave worked as a chemical engineer for the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security on weapons of mass destruction anti-terrorism, and non-proliferation issues. Dave is from Washington state and lives in Charlottesville, VA, the location of Icarus’ headquarters. Dave remains active and has no plans for knee surgery in the near future.
