Empowering You Forward
The FUTURO™ team knows you don’t want to spend time on the sidelines – that’s why we’re solely focused on helping you invest in the greatest asset you will ever own: you. We know you want to make the most out of every day and make time to work out, so you can feel your best. We believe in helping you stay healthy, active and positive.
For over 70 years, FUTURO™ Braces and Supports have consistently provided pain relief and helped prevent injury. Powered by 3M Science and developed by 3M experts who truly understand muscles and joints, FUTURO™ offers a wide range of braces and supports that help people perform their best in both work and play. The supports and braces are made from a wide range of different materials and stabilisers to ensure all your injury needs are covered. The materials provide various compression levels, heat retention and breathability, so you can go about your active routines. Thoughtfully designed to look good and feel good, these go-to solutions for comfort and motion help you stay healthy, social, competitive, and positive—gearing you up for life’s great adventures.
Meet the 3M Experts behind FUTURO™ Products
At 3M, we design our products to help promote a better quality of life for our customers. To ensure that the FUTURO™ brand remains among the most trusted names in braces and supports, our expert panel of engineers and medical professionals collaborate on product research, development and testing. Combining what is seen in practice with the needs of consumers allows only the best products to make it to your local retailer, ensuring that state-of-the-art technology, ideas and solutions are featured in our innovative line of products. This is all with one goal in mind: to help you live life to the fullest.
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Ralph Buschbacher, M.D
Musculoskeletal Expert – lead expert on the FUTURO™ Panel
Dr. Buschbacher provides the FUTURO™ Expert Panel valuable insights into the medical aspects of our products as well as leading the medical team. This allows 3M to provide the high-quality products our customers have come to expect.
Dr. Buschbacher began his training at the University of Virginia for both his undergraduate and medical degrees. He served as Chief Resident of his residency class at the Medical College of Virginia. He has spoken extensively on a variety of topics, both nationally and internationally. He is a prolific writer, having published over 100 manuscripts, as well as, 46 book chapters and 20 books.
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Ryan Gaynor, PT, MS
Physical Therapist
Mr. Gaynor is a physical therapist currently with Horizon Home Health and Hospice in Milwaukee specialising in home care, primarily for the underserved inner-city community with a focus on post-operative orthopaedic rehabilitation. Prior to his current position, Mr. Gaynor began his career working at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis working with the nationally recognized surgeons at Methodist Sports Medicine and physiatrists from Indiana University School of Medicine. His focus was on treating orthopaedic injuries, specifically in the worker’s compensation system, While in Indianapolis, he worked with the Indianapolis Colts professional football team and its surgeon, Dr. Tom Klootwyk, as a soft tissue injury consultant helping to treat difficult cases. He then spent 7 years in private practice in the Milwaukee area with a continuing focus on orthopaedics and with soft tissue injuries with further development of manual therapy techniques and a dynamic strengthening approach. Mr. Gaynor has also served as a PT at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee serving in an acute care and outpatient PT capacity further rounding his exposure to many types of patients in the profession of physical therapy.
Mr. Gaynor earned his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Indianapolis in 1998, where he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in 1995.
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Dominic Julian
Technical Manager
Dominic brings unique perspective and experience to the expert panel. He has over 18 years of experience designing and developing health supports based on his experience as a Certified Athletic Trainer.
Dominic has worked for almost two decades developing products based on injury states and biomechanics. His experience and expertise have contributed to a variety of products that utilise advanced design and new materials to meet the growing needs of our consumers. During this time, he has had increasing levels of responsibility that has touched most product-related activities, including product design, manufacturing, quality, training, and package development. In 2016, Dominic transitioned to managing the Product Development group. In this role, his focus continues to be on the needs of our consumers and bringing high quality, high performing products to them.
Prior to his work with FUTURO™ Brand products, he worked as an Athletic Trainer on the collegiate level. This included working as part of the medical staff to optimise the overall well-being of the athlete, including injury prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation. Dominic earned a BS in Athletic Training at Boston University followed by an MS in Administrative Studies at Boston College.
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Lynn Peterson
RN, CWOCN
Lynn Peterson, RN, WOCN is a Board Certified WOC Nurse employed with 3M Health Care. Lynn’s primary responsibilities include technical and clinical support for the 3M compression and edema management platform. Lynn develops and delivers training and programs to help support the sales organisation and customers in the use of 3M™ Coban™ Two Layer Compression System for treatment of venous leg ulcers, lymphedema and other conditions requiring compression.
A key focus for Lynn includes clinical consultation and education for Long-term Care and Home Health customers. Lynn develops and delivers educational programs focused on Wound Assessment and Topical Management, Management of Lower Extremity Wounds, Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Treatment, Skin Damage Prevention and Treatment.
Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She has worked in a variety of clinical settings including acute care, and 22 years of experience in home health holding a variety of roles. Lynn is a member of the Wound, Ostomy, Continence Society (WOCN), and represented 3M on the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) for 5 years.
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Tanya Beckwith
Technical Service Senior Specialist
Tanya has a strong record of product development, commercialisation and Project Management experience across multiple healthcare and consumer businesses in her 24 years at 3M. Tanya has developed, patented and commercialised health supports for 3M. In her current Technical Service role, she supports the global business by bringing the science of our products to life and by supporting the customer experience.
Tanya has a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.
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Diane Emslander
Advanced Product Development Specialist
Diane is a member of the FUTURO™ Brand Health Supports Team and is focusing on utilising new technologies in product development. She has been with 3M for over 27 years and has extensive experience in 3M core technologies, along with product and process development of new products from graphic and optical films to cleaning and animal care products. Diane graduated from the University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology, with a BS in Industrial Engineering.
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Jay Kovacs
Product Designer and Development Specialist
Jay is an Industrial Designer with 15 years of experience bringing ideas to production. Jay utilises his knowledge of the design and development process to develop new materials and advanced manufacturing techniques for our products that anticipate and meet the needs of our customers. His experience in human-centred design, combined with modern production techniques, brings a unique perspective in creating FUTURO™ Brand Products.
Jay has a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from Art Center College of Design.
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Debra Battah
Product Engineering Specialist
Deb is a member of the FUTURO™ Brand Health Supports Team responsible for the development, maintenance and manufacturing of the FUTURO™ brand products. Deb has been with 3M for 31 years and has extensive experience in process and product development, maintenance and scale-up of new products from box sealing and light duty tapes to 3M medical products used in the hospital markets. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Chemical Engineering and also has an MBA with a manufacturing systems emphasis from the University of St. Thomas.
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Edward Roberts
Product Engineer
As a member of the FUTURO™ Brand Health Supports Team, Ed brings the advancements of the laboratory into the manufacturing plant. Ed continues to work on process upgrades to ensure FUTURO™ Brand Health Supports are made the high level of quality that our customers can depend on. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Biochemistry and has been at 3M since 2012.
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Nicolas Lee
Product Developer
Nick is the latest member of the FUTURO™ Brand Health Supports Team, focused on integrating universal design principles, ergonomics and human-centred product development in creating new health support products. He has 12 years of experience bringing product concepts to market as a rehabilitation engineer, developing specialised consumer products for people with disabilities. Nick has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.
