"Happy Meal toys like Transformer figurines and Hot Wheels cars have sparked joy with little kids for decades-and now, one of the designers behind the miniatures is changing lives for thousands of people. Dallas-based entrepreneur Nancy Hairston founded MedCAD, a surgical solutions company, in 2007-and in the decades since, its 3D-printing innovations have helped patients recognize themselves in the mirror again."
"But before Hairston was building skull implants, she spent most of her career in the design world. When she graduated art school with a sculpture MFA from Loyola University in 1991, she had a rude awakening: She couldn't find any open jobs for what she wanted to pursue. Meanwhile, 3D animation was all the rage at the time, so Hairston pivoted and took on a litany of modeling and animation jobs, from Mary Kay cosmetics to software company Alias."
Nancy Hairston earned a sculpture MFA in 1991 but could not find employment in her chosen field and shifted into 3D animation and modeling. Hairston worked for clients including Mary Kay and Alias and designed Happy Meal and Bratz toys for Mattel. Observing domestic shifts in manufacturing and the potential of 3D modeling for healthcare, Hairston left a steady job and founded Dallas-based MedCAD in 2007. MedCAD leverages 3D-printing innovations to produce surgical solutions such as skull implants that help patients recognize their own faces again.
Read at Fortune
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