Exec Life
into a description of a project already underway in Austin. “Most of the identification cards in the world are made by a company called HID Global,” Snabes says. “We got access to some of their waste that goes to landfills, and we were able to grind it up and reprint it as planters that are now selling for $75 and $100. I don’t know if anyone else has done that, so it’s a big milestone and we’ll definitely be working on messaging around that.” The headquarters for re:3d is located in southeast Houston, near Nassau Bay, and the 41-yearold Snabes splits her time between the home office as well as Austin and Puerto Rico, where the
company has two other locations. In addition to the demanding responsibilities of her day job, over the years Snabes somehow managed to earn certification as an EMT and volunteer firefighter, and is still an active member of the Mississippi Air National Guard. As for that lifelong dream to become an astronaut? “I apply whenever there’s a draw, every couple of years,” she says assuredly. “I don’t know when the next one will be, but I’ll apply.” And then she adds with a wry chuckle; “I mean, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take, right?”
RE:3D
heard about Start-Up Chile, a seed accelerator created by the Chilean government that supports companies with the potential to positively impact the ecosystem in Latin America. It seemed to be the perfect platform for the pair to pursue their idea. Turns out they were right. “Start-Up Chile gave us $40,000 to try and make the prototype, start a business around it, and bring the product to life,” Snabes says. From there, the pair quit their jobs and launched a joint venture they called re:3D, but it needed additional financing. Snabes moved to Chile and began pulling together a campaign to raise another $40,000 on Kickstarter; Fiedler returned to his home in Houston and started building the first iteration of the Gigabot. As they toiled away, serendipity emerged yet again. South by Southwest, based in Austin, Texas, and one of the world’s most prestigious conferences focused on emerging technology, invited the duo to debut their creation on opening day — just eight weeks away. “So, while Matthew was building the printer,” Snabes says drolly, “I was in Chile timing the debut with the launch of the Kickstarter campaign.” Their timing, under what was extreme deadline pressure, couldn’t have been more exquisite. “The media were the first people that came to the display,” Snabes says, “and there was already a lot of hype around 3-D printing at the time.” The result was astounding: The Kickstarter initiative was fully funded in a mere 27 hours, eventually raising more than $250,000. Literally overnight, re:3D was suddenly a major player, with orders for the Gigabot pouring in from eager customers in 23 countries. Ironically, the Mugonero Hospital — ground zero for the inspiration behind the Gigabot — wasn’t among them. Snabes took that as a wholly positive sign. “We realize then that the demand for this was in many more markets and geographies than we’d anticipated,” she says. “What we learned is that people all over the world are problem-solvers, and it was really humbling.” Snabes hasn’t forgotten the significance of those early days in Rwanda, when the idea that became re:3D was hatched. For every 100 Gigabot units the company now delivers to customers in more than 50 countries around the world, a donation of one 3-D printer goes to someone trying to make a difference in their community. “There’s a lot of plastic waste in those communities,” Snabes says, “but there’s a lot of waste everywhere, and I’d say the potential biggest opportunity for us is printing from manufacturing waste.” Which is why Snabes was recently in her hometown to call on one particular customer. “They just make one component that goes into one vehicle for the Big 3,” she says. “When they receive the raw material for that one component, they have to take a cap off immediately and throw it away. Two to three thousand of them, every single day of the year.” Snabes’ excitement is palpable as she seems to ponder the possibilities. And then she briskly pivots 78 DBUSINESS || MARCH - APRIL 2022
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