Douglas Katz, 54: Cutting a New Path

Douglas Katz’ story is that of a veteran who, from his service, has disabilities, saw a problem, and created a solution—not just for himself but for others who may also have the same issues. The issue was he wanted to be able to keep cooking for himself, and, to do so, he needed a knife with a different orientation so he could better handle it. In the process, The West Point graduate invented an entirely new form of knife called the NULU. To bring his new kitchen tool to the world, he brought together the best people he knew, all of them over 50 and most of them veterans. If you want to get some serious work done, hire a 50+ vet; they know a thing or two about resilience and grit. 

There were challenges along the way for him, including an aortic heart valve operation and the uncomfortable realization that he needed to downshift to focus as much on his recovery as he did on his work. As he says, “I’ve come to realize it’s not about being able to do something but, rather, considering the unpleasant outcomes after…. As easy as it seems, each decision to not do something feels like an admission of the impact of age.” Thus, he’s also shifted more focus on the important things in life. These include his family: the wise winnowing of effort that seems to come with time spent on earth. By cutting out the things in life that don’t matter, he’s investing more in those that do. 

We found Doug’s story immensely inspiring and the invention of the NULU to be a wonderful solution for those who have difficulty doing what is basic to the dignity of people everywhere: the ability to feed ourselves. 

How old are you?
54

Where are you from? Where do you currently live?
I was born in Cleveland, OH; raised in East Grand Rapids, MI; and currently reside in Trout Valley, IL. 

What is your disability?
My official VA recognized disabilities are related to knee and ankle issues, hearing and respiratory issues. I wasn’t able to document my upper body issues with the VA. But, I have chronic lateral epicondylitis, carpal tunnel, and arthritis in my upper limbs. Most of us eventually suffer from some disability, especially our more seasoned population. Part of our vision is design and functionality leading to broader acceptance of use, without feeling like you’re “giving in” to pain and discomfort. I also suffer from ADHD; I’m one of the legions who wasn’t diagnosed in my youth.

You’re the designer of the NULU, “the knife that adapts to you.” How does it work and what inspired you to bring a product like this to the market?
The NULU (patent pending) maximizes a concept we call Force Transfer Geometry (FTG) for the user in a multitude of uses. Better force transfer means better, more efficient cutting. That’s what the NULU does at its core, but it goes beyond that. By abandoning the traditional knife aesthetic in favor of more efficient design, we situated the control and cutting areas in a more aligned manner. With this layout, the user can use any of the three blades in a way that suits their body. 

The inspiration was my own issues and experience being a better inventor than a knife maker. I was enamored with efficiency, how it could help me cook when my arm was giving me particularly bad issues prior to my shoulder reconstruction. When my family didn’t say the idea was impractical (nice translation for “crazy”), I felt it was something. As I picked up team members who saw the benefit and vision, I gained more confidence that the NULU needed to be commercialized.

In the design stage of the new knife, have you received feedback on the product? If so, what were the initial thoughts?
As part of our efforts, we created a testing program with prototypes. While we were a bit reticent to do so without production steel and final product quality, the benefit of feedback far outweighs the risk. The evaluation partners have been understanding of our stage of development, and they were both willing and eager to test early due to the need and opportunity to have their feedback integrated into the product.  

We’ve been working with a combination of state-adaptive technology offices, key individual, and commercial users. Initial thoughts were that the design was unique, but the use was initially difficult to conceptualize. We expected that—because of the depth of preconception associated with a knife’s design and use. So we provide an evaluation instruction kit with the knife. On average, we’re hearing that it takes one to three days to “get it”, after which the feedback is positive. 

Do you view NULU as a niche product for a particular group of individuals or a tool that can benefit all?
This product can benefit everyone, but the individuals who need it the most will resonate with it. We sized that market using a proprietary model we call The Ability Curve. The beauty of this model, aside from better sizing for commercial viability, is that it disrupts a binary able-bodied/disabled paradigm. While not applicable to everything, we looked at a task like cutting from its base requirements. Disabled, in this context, means less able to perform the task. This is not pass-fail grading but occurs on a scale as the task becomes more difficult, which more people can identify with. 

We’re entering the market with a focus on the senior market and the 50+ generation of people. We’ll be entering the youth market in 2026, as the user profile for children matches that of seniors in many ways, and we see the opportunity to further engage users who would benefit. 

You focus a lot on improving the lives of veterans—disabled veterans in particular. Are you involved in any other lines of business to support this portion of the population?
This product lends itself well to the disabled veteran community, as veterans like knives and gadgets, and we’re working to source whatever we can from veteran businesses. Our cutting boards, for example, are made by a vet. We’re also working with nonprofits, cooking schools, chefs, and other strategic partners to create an ecosystem that helps disabled vets learn or relearn to cook. This is currently aspirational, as we need to get crowdfunding, but the discussions with potential collaborating partners have all been positive. We’ll be able to execute this quickly after getting the business up and running, and this includes efforts to integrate some of the programs dedicated to bringing veterans back to nature. 

Finally, where I would most like to assist the veteran community is by paying forward the support I received. We also hope to find opportunities in the communities where we’re working on the NULU rollout—to find opportunities for disabled vets and their adaptive products. They’re an innovative group, amazing at problem solving, and I want to help them help us all.

How does your background help you with your business today?
Surprisingly, less than I thought. My MBA was heavily corporate-focused. That’s not a dig on the institution but more a marker of when I got the degree. Additionally, my experience was with larger companies, mostly in the service space. This helped me with basic business acumen, but that’s different from being a founder. Overall, it helped more than hindered, but it was not the secret sauce. If I had to boil it down, it would be the Army, more specifically West Point. While I did not serve in combat, my military experience most prepared me for the experience as a founder—that and my time on the field, court, or mat in competitive athletics. These types of experiences are the crucible from which a better, stronger, and more versatile individual is formed—and I’m no different.

Finally, I would be remiss in not recognizing some fabulous resources that even the 50+ can take advantage of. I think it’s about realizing when your skills become obsolete and/or are not appropriate for the endeavor and being passionate enough to become coachable again. In martial arts, it’s called the beginner’s mind, but it comes down to knowing when your experience is an anchor. When I realized I knew less than I needed to, I sought out what I needed. Resources like IVMF Bunker Labs, Founders Institute, Warrior Rising and SCORE have been huge for me. This is where I gained not only skills but supporters. 

How can people support you and the NULU?
As a business, revenue is key. We’re currently generating that through a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. Anyone who believes, as I do, that the world needs the NULU can pledge there. We have a HERO TIER for vets, first responders, law enforcement, and food service workers and an IMPACT TIER for people who support or are members of the groups that the NULU benefits. Details are on the Kickstarter page, and I’m available for any needed answers. 

The other area is awareness. People can’t support what they don’t know about. We have to reach enough eyeballs. Currently, we’re just under 50% of our $10,000 goal, but I have a stretch goal of $50,000 to really scale. I’d love to reach a million people, but that doesn’t happen by happenstance. It all starts with one share done a million times. I need as many of those single shares as I can get, so please follow us online and subscribe.

What problem are you hoping to solve next?
We’re already solving it. My partners and I feel there is a real white space in the adaptive product market. There is a place for thought leadership and market optimization in a way that opens opportunities to small businesses and inventors but also to help get innovation efficiently to the market. If we do that, the market will move from small niche to large niche to broad market appeal. This has to happen deliberately, though. 

When we figured out how much we had to learn from launching the NULU, we kicked into gear. My team is generally wired like me (a multitude of veterans and business professionals), so we’re good at documenting our processes and aggregating research into something that can be repurposed. If we can solve the problem of getting good, well-designed adaptive products to market, we can do so repeatedly with many different products.

What are three nonnegotiables in your life?
1. Family: I didn’t prioritize this enough in corporate America and, unfortunately, I found that the companies I served were enablers of productivity over family. As my own boss, I now operate differently. 

2. Ethical Practices: When you raise your hand for an oath to the Constitution and live by the creed of duty, honor, and country, it becomes defining. 

3. Health: It all starts and ends with your health. The NULU was created because I wanted to keep cooking and manage my nutrition. 

Why did you choose to have a team that’s entirely over 50?
It sort of just happened. But as the path developed in front of me, I became more deliberate and aware of the untapped wealth. My joke is that I’m somewhere between Forrest Gump and Oppenheimer in how the team came together. The secret I found (that corporate America is ignorant to) is that these over-50 folks bring the obvious experience and knowledge in the areas that I need them to, with an x-factor that adds immense value. The terms wisdom, poise, service, collaboration, humility, and generosity come to mind. I’ve given each more equity than I would be advised to—and I can tell you that I am getting the better side of the deal for each and every one. 

The NULU is my first invention, but it is not just my project. It belongs to the entire team, and I felt honored bringing it to market with them. I felt—and still feel—sure that they’ll maintain the vision, mission, and integrity of the business. I’ve never questioned any of those decisions, and I feel that’s due to the maturity of my partners.

How do you organize your days and weeks?
Much more fluid than before. Like I said, my team is mature and committed. They get things done. I don’t need to babysit or micro-manage them. This dependable execution means I can work more on strategy and business development, which are by nature less predictable. I now have time to chase more ideas down more rabbit holes. I’ve found that AI, whom I’ve named Gnu Lou, coupled with my ADHD has made this time more productive. 

My role also means that I’m out of the office a lot, which tends to be less predictable. Connections and opportunities for business, investment, or both only exist outside, and I anchor my schedule with those. I do depend heavily on a CRM that works with my calendar (shoutout to NIMBLE, which gives a free year to veterans).

Can you share some past personal challenges that you’ve had to overcome?
I could go with the obvious answer: my time at West Point. But I do have a timelier one. In my 40s, I found out I had a bicuspid aortic heart valve. While not an immediate danger, it can lead to aneurysms, which are often fatal. Eventually, I ended up developing an aneurism and needed open heart surgery to repair it. Granted, the statistics supported my survival and recovery, but there are never guarantees when they literally stop your heart and lungs to do the surgery. This was the first part of the challenge in recognizing my mortality. The second came in reclaiming my grit. 

The timing of the surgery was such that my 1st Degree Black Belt Aikido test coincided with my recovery schedule. I could test if I was diligent and pushed myself; otherwise, I would have to wait six months. It would’ve been easy to test when I was ready instead of getting ready to test, and the challenge was in keeping that perspective.

It was immensely difficult and painful, but I successfully completed one of the harder tests the observers had ever seen. My wife was convinced that it didn’t matter that the surgery didn’t kill me because the test was going to. I did it, though—new aorta and all. The judges later said they gave me a tougher test as a gift, so I could really appreciate the achievement.

What are current personal challenges you have to overcome?
Selectively slowing down has been the toughest challenge I currently face. I acknowledge that age, with its wisdom and other beneficial characteristics, is something to be welcomed and savored—but not at the expense of fun and adventure. As I move farther down the date-of-birth option on apps, I’m more inclined to recognize my longer recovery and less resilience. I’ve come to realize it’s not about being able to do something but, rather, considering the unpleasant outcomes after. As easy as it seems, each decision to not do something feels like an admission of the impact of age. My own journey with NULU and communicating its benefits has certainly helped.

Connect with Douglas:
LinkedIn
NULU on Kickstarter
Investor Folder for NULU