Raleigh teen brothers who struck it big with copper face masks give back to WakeMed
In late April, Dylan and Connor Clark — 14 and 16, respectively, from Raleigh — got an idea for a mask made with copper-infused fabric.
Last Wednesday, the Clark brothers found themselves standing in front of the WakeMed Raleigh campus handing over a giant check made out to the hospital foundation for $25,000. It was the first installment in their plan to donate $100,000 to local hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Going out in public, we realized people weren’t wearing masks because of how uncomfortable they were or were wearing them wrong,” said Dylan, a rising freshman at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh.
First, they just wanted to make something more comfortable for people to wear.
But they were also aware of copper being naturally antimicrobial, meaning it can kill or stop the growth of microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and even viruses. They wanted to use that in their new masks as well, and found a supplier to get the infused fabric.
There have been a number of studies in the past on copper’s antimicrobial capacity, including a Virginia hospital seeing reduced infection rates when using copper-infused bed sheets in 2016, previously reported by The Virginian-Pilot. A 2007 study found copper may serve as a protection barrier against influenza A virus.
A study in March from The New England Journal of Medicine found copper could deactivate high concentrations of SARS-COV-2, the strain of coronavirus causing the pandemic, in a matter of four hours.
The Clarks’ masks have been incredibly popular in just a matter of months. Dylan said they had already sold “tens of thousands of masks.”
Along with the donation to WakeMed, they announced a second line of masks, called Red Tractor Masks.
It will be run out of the office space they recently got in North Raleigh, with the dozens of employees they are expecting to to join on in days.
They plan to shift all of their attention to Red Tractor Masks, made of bamboo and spandex, once the last supply of CopperSAFE masks run out.
They said the change was to focus more on the wearer’s comfort, style and breathability in the summer.
Companies, schools and organizations can also order custom versions of the masks with their logos on them. The masks are made in factories in Virginia, Texas and North Carolina, before being shipped to the office, where they may be personalized and sent to customers.
“With many states and cities now mandating, including North Carolina, that you have to wear a mask in public,” Dylan said, “it’s a great solution for people to stay protected while being comfortable. A mask only works if you wear it.”
Partnerships, real world experience
The teenagers said they have secured partnerships with companies, organizations and even ACC schools. Their partners include Silverwood Theme Park —an amusement park in Spokane, Washington — Emerge Pediatrics, Audio Advice and Pappas Capital.
They wouldn’t reveal how much revenue they’ve generated, saying they’re just focused on following through on their goal of donating $100,000 to local hospitals.
“And yesterday was a really great feeling being able to donate 25k to Wake Med Hospital,” said Connor, also a student at Cardinal Gibbons. “It made us feel like all of our hard work paid off.
“It’s a great feeling to be standing next to your brother while presenting a check to a hospital.”
Dylan said he hopes its the first of many business ventures he and his brother work on.
“We’ve learned a lot about business and marketing and press releases,” he said. “All that kind of stuff that’s going to help us in the real world.”
