This spring, Minnetonka Schools Physical Therapist Erin Michael moved closer to turning a new idea for accessibility into reality, thanks to a local Shark Tank-style funding opportunity called the “Walleye Tank.”

Walleye Tank brings together “individuals who are all focused on one thing: helping the most promising healthcare and life science startups bring their idea to the marketplace,” Michael noted. “I decided to apply to participate because it was my best opportunity to get my idea in front of industry leaders, mentors and service providers in the Twin Cities. When I was selected to pitch at the event, I was thrilled that I would get a chance to share my innovation with others who may be able to help me make this a reality for anyone whose mobility is challenged—at any age for any reason.”

Michael’s pitch originated from her recess observations this winter. Several of her students who used mobility devices like walkers faced challenges accessing winter playground equipment due to slippery surface conditions. 

“Their walkers couldn’t move over the snow and ice, and their fear of falling kept them on the sidelines of the playground,” shared Michael. “When I looked to find something to help support their independence outdoors, there wasn’t anything commercially available to purchase. I realized at that moment, this problem needed to be solved, so I went to work creating my prototype.” When Michael brought her first ‘snow walker,’ constructed with downhill skis and PVC pipe, to school for students to try, they barely needed to practice before displaying confidence with the tool. “They just took it and took off into the snow!”

This experience was the inspiration for her invention, Tread Beyond™, an all-terrain mobility platform system. “It is a single device (offering four options based on the person's needs) with different bases that swap in seconds without tools, allowing a person to seamlessly transition between the indoors and outdoors and as well as have the opportunity to now explore and enjoy the outdoors,” Michael explained.

She’d never done anything like the Walleye Tank pitch before, but driven by the passion behind her idea, Michael prepared meticulously to deliver the best presentation possible. She had two minutes to convince the panel why her idea mattered and who it would benefit, followed by three minutes of questions. By the end of her pitch, she felt like she was having a conversation with the audience that reinforced that children in Minnetonka and everywhere deserve the ability to play and interact with each other. 

Tread Beyond™’s journey is just beginning. Michael won $2,500 as first place in the “Junior Anglers” division of the contest, and she will receive mentorship going forward as she continues to develop her product. “There have been many wonderful moments in this process so far, from seeing the joy on my students’ faces when they got to get back out onto the playground and play with their friends in the snow to hearing positive feedback from families and school staff about how this invention provided each student the confidence, independence and opportunity to continue to be a part of their school community,” Michael shared.

As she moves forward, Michael has taken two key things from the experience:  anyone who has ever thought ‘there has to be a better way,’ should take the idea seriously, and that it “really does take a community to make an innovation become a reality.” 

In reflecting on this experience, Michael shared gratitude for her students and their families, as well as school staff “for being open to providing students with an opportunity to try a new innovation. The district's commitment to inclusion and to supporting every child's potential is the foundation that supports a child’s ability for greater independence and life-long learning.”

Thanks to her creativity and drive, Erin’s idea is on its way to making students’ recess time more accessible and fun for many winters to come. Thank you for your dedication to opportunity, inclusion and connection!