Meet Jonathan Sheinkop of Ergo Impact in River West

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Sheinkop.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As a co-founder and the general manager in my previous start-up company, I was working extremely long days sitting at my desk staring at a computer. My back was aching every day. My neck was starting to make little-cracking noises when I’d finally get up. I knew there was something wrong with the situation, but at the same time, I thought sitting in one place and focusing for so many hours in a row without moving was a sign of how productive I was. I took note when some of our team members came to visit from our California office and were stacking boxes on their desk as a laptop stand. Then, one of my partners bought a standing desk and I knew that was a possible solution for my problem, but I couldn’t imagine standing and working and being able to focus. I imagined buying the desk and abandoning it within a couple months. But, I had a notion that having something to rest against would possibly make the activity of standing and working something that wouldn’t feel like such a chore.

I started the prototyping in my neighbor’s basement. He had welding equipment. From there, he introduced me to fabricators on the West side of Chicago who helped make improved prototypes, and then an industrial design team at Product Council in the West Loop of Chicago. The process was an evolution as we tested each new prototype. We integrated input from an orthopedic surgeon, doctors of physical therapy, ergonomists and professionals in the contract furniture industry to build the best possible adjustable height, leaning chair.

We have been awarded a utility patent on the LeanRite and have multiple claims pending as well as a design patent. The product has been sold in 8 different countries in its first 60 days. We are heavily focused on delivering the LeanRite to companies and individuals that want to promote a healthier workplace and desire a higher level of productivity for their desk-bound time. There’s plenty of data showing people who stand and work are more productive, but there’s also a growing body of evidence that people who use standing desks are spending more time sitting as opposed to using them to move more. Standing is kind of difficult in the long run. The LeanRite is proving that it can help keep people moving more throughout the day.

On a personal note, after years of using the LeanRite while I use a standing desk, I’ve lost weight, my posture is improved, my overall health is significantly better from where I was five years ago. The LeanRite is part of a holistic approach to improved health. When you feel better all day, you tend to make better choices for other things in your life. It’s all in our slogan: Move More- Sit Less- Live Better!

Has it been a smooth road?
There are struggles every step of the way when you’re creating something totally new. The LeanRite is a completely new concept and as proof, it’s been awarded a utility patent. Since I came from both the finance and tech industries, it helped me to see the product requirement in a new light. Often people working in the same industry for long periods become entrenched in the way things have always been done. I’ve seen how some people have a tough time seeing how things really need to change.

Manufacturing a new product is a major headache, but once you get it on the right track, there’s a magic to how nicely each piece is produced and perfectly fits together in large quantities. Getting to that point is a struggle. Introducing a new product to market is a struggle, but I am living proof that the product works wonders. The struggle is worthwhile knowing that what we’ve created has real-world benefits and that people who have purchased the LeanRite are loving it. At least, that’s what I’m hearing.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Ergo Impact story. Tell us more about the business.
Ergo Impact is manufacturing and distributing the LeanRite Sit-Stand-Lean seat to help protect deskbound workers from back-pain risks and a long list of other health issues. Users of Sit-Stand desks love our products, because standing all day can be hard on your body, and sitting too long is a proven killer.

The LeanRite is one of the first true standing desk chairs that can increase the ROI for workers using adjustable height desks. Users are shown to maintain an upright posture long after many others go back to sitting and slouching. Less pain, more movement, increased productivity is what our first product is designed to provide.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Ergo Impact’s is operating inside of the segment called workplace wellness. A massive global shift is underway as companies are thinking more about the longevity of their employees, overall wellness, and trying to reduce workplace injuries of all types. New thinking has led to a rapid rise in the purchase of adjustable height desks for employees as one example. This shows that companies are learning that they both have to care for their employees, as well as respond to internal demands for maintaining a healthier environment. This is a shift that is showing few signs of slowing in the US or anywhere around the globe. Companies like Ergo Impact that develop great solutions or services to support a move towards workplace wellness will benefit for many years ahead.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ergoimpact.com
• Phone: 872-221-0420
• Email: info@ergoimpact.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ergoimpact/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ergoimpact/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ergoimpact

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