Doug's Gray Matters

One thing I committed to during this competition is showing—not just telling—the impact we're making. Today's example is a small one, but it stayed with me. A customer left a review saying they wished they had found NULU years ago. You don't skim past a line like that. It's not a typical product review—it's a signal. It means that for some stretch of time, something that should have been simple wasn't. There was friction. Maybe that showed up as pain, as difficulty, or just a

Today’s update focuses on impact through inclusion. I’m sharing a clip from my conversation with Kingsley Scott Jr. on the Vet S.O.S. Network, where we discuss what it means when someone who has been excluded from everyday activities like cooking is finally able to participate. Watch full interview - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ixXRwDlv94 For many people with physical limitations, something as simple as using a knife is not accessible. Seeing someone experience that for

One of the things I committed to during this competition is showing—not just telling—the impact we’re making. Today, that impact is about access. Across the country, there’s a network called the Assistive Technology Act Technical Assistance and Training Center (AT3). Through this network, each state has a demo or lending library  where people can try assistive products before they buy them. That matters more than most people realize. When someone is dealing with a physical li

Entrepreneur of Impact Competition Update - 4/25/2026 I’ll be sharing quick daily updates as we move through this competition—and here’s why that matters. The competition is broken into multiple rounds, each lasting about a week or two… and votes reset every round . So your support isn’t a one-time thing—it’s what carries us forward, round by round. Alongside these updates, I’ll also be sharing real examples of the impact we’re making. That’s what this is really about. Not ju

https://entrepreneurofimpact.org/2026/douglas-katz I've worn a lot of hats in my life. West Point graduate. Veteran. Entrepreneur. Inventor. But the one that drives me every single day? Problem solver. That's what NULU is. A solution to a problem that millions of people face and almost nobody talks about — the moment when physical limitation robs you of something as fundamental, as joyful, and as deeply human as cooking your own food. The Idea That Became a Mission Three year

We need to start thinking about what can go right with AI and who it can help. Much of the public conversation about artificial intelligence revolves around replacement. The argument tends to fall into one of two camps: either AI will replace human thinking, or it will diminish the value of human work. The framing assumes that the central question is substitution. But from where I sit, that isn't the most interesting aspect of what these tools are doing. The more compelling d

Sometimes in life, roads don’t fork. They intersect.    Recently I stepped back onto an Aikido mat after several years away. Within the first few training sessions — most of which ended with me on the floor, where I seemed to be spending more time than I remembered — I realized something that should probably have been obvious much earlier. Getting up after being thrown took longer than it used to. A lot longer. And the getting up was just the beginning. I also found immense j

There’s a strange tension around artificial intelligence right now. On one side, it’s hailed as transformative. On the other, it’s criticized for replacing jobs, flattening craft, or amplifying noise. The debate swings between hype and fear, as if AI must either revolutionize everything or quietly undermine it. What gets lost in that argument is a simpler question: what should AI actually be for? In my world — adaptive design, aging in place, functional independence — the ans

Commercial kitchens face mounting challenges, from managing rising labor costs to ensuring employee safety. Traditional knife systems, with multiple tools requiring frequent maintenance, create inefficiencies and risks that can disrupt operations. The NULU knife offers a groundbreaking solution by consolidating six traditional knives into one ergonomic, versatile tool. Coupled with a tailored sharpening subscription service, NULU provides measurable productivity gains, cost s

Introduction The design of cutting tools is central to effective food preparation, directly impacting not only the efficiency of tasks but also the user’s long-term comfort, safety, and overall experience. For many individuals, particularly those with upper extremity limitations or mobility impairments, traditional knives can be a source of strain and fatigue due to the physical effort required to perform common cutting tasks. Because inefficient cutting can actually contribu

Objective and Purpose The goal of this white paper is to communicate the advantages of using the Ability Curve Model as an alternative to the traditional disabled/able-bodied paradigm. This model serves as a tool for businesses to better qualify ability and additional needs, thereby determining the market viability of adaptive products or adaptive changes to existing products. By employing this model, companies can achieve broad inclusion, establish a standard method for over

The traditional chef’s knife, celebrated for its heritage and versatility, may actually be working against the user — particularly when it comes to force efficiency, safety, and long-term strain. Most conventional knives demand a full grip, forcing users to stabilize and drive the blade entirely with their hand and wrist. This not only reduces cutting power but also isolates force in the smallest and most fatigue-prone muscle groups in the upper extremity. In contrast, NULU’s

Introduction: The Seated User is the Forgotten User In kitchen design and tool innovation, one key group is consistently overlooked: seated users. Whether due to disability, age, fatigue, or injury, millions of people prepare food while sitting. Yet the tools they rely on—especially kitchen knives—are largely optimized for standing use. This disconnect between user need and product design creates unnecessary strain, exclusion, and even danger. The humble kitchen knife is a pe

When I first got into the adaptive space, I figured the hardest part would be design. Adaptive products, after all, carry real responsibility. They have to work for people who don’t have the luxury of trial-and-error, who aren’t looking for novelty or marginal improvement, but for something that meaningfully changes how they move through the world. I was wrong. Design was hard, but it was solvable. What surprised me — and what continues to surprise a lot of founders and organ

We’re a small startup, and we take every bit of feedback seriously — sometimes personally. When you spend years developing something you believe can genuinely help people, criticism hits differently than you’d expect. A recent Amazon review stopped me in my tracks. The reviewer called the NULU “an overpriced pizza cutter,” “irresponsible,” and even predicted it would end up “in evidence bags more than kitchens.” I’ll be honest — that one stung. Not because it was harsh, but b

We all move along the Ability Curve. Designing for each other means designing for ourselves — now and in the future Biology Always Wins: The Reality of the Ability Curve We don’t like to think about it, but here’s the truth: You will be disabled someday. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually, biology catches up to all of us. It could be an injury. A chronic illness. Aging joints. Shaky hands. Slower reflexes. Lost strength. It happens to everyone — not because w

1.3%. It’s not the interest rate on a financial product, it is not the number of bikers that are kind of outlaw and it is not the percentage of daily nutrition from your cereal. It’s the percentage of your life that each year represents in a 77-year lifespan-the average lifespan in the United States, according to the CDC. I’ve been reflecting on this a lot lately: my age, these uncertain times, and the many things I still want to accomplish. Each passing year feels more signi

Most people don’t think much about disability — until it touches their life. When you’re healthy and independent, the world feels like it was built for you. Doors open, shelves are in reach, tools work without much thought. It’s easy to assume it will always stay that way. But ability isn’t fixed. Illness, injury, or simply age changes how we move, grip, see, or hear. Millions live with these changes every day. And yet, our products, policies, and investments often fail to re

I was recently honored to be highlighted in Adrienne Barker, MAS's recent book, where she profiles entrepreneurs building businesses that solve real problems in unexpected ways. The chapter tells the story behind the NULU—a kitchen knife born from a moment of frustration in my workshop. "Disability and ability is a continuum. It's not an identity. It's not a different tribe... We all will get there. The reality is people look at disabilities and identity as opposed to a state