Sydney Robinson, MEng

Throughout Sydney Robinson’s life, her guiding principle has been a commitment to helping others and enhancing lives. Starting with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Queen's University, she delved into the realm of biomechanics, driven by a deep-seated passion for human motion and a desire to make a meaningful impact on a global scale.

Her pivotal encounter with the prosthetics industry was during a capstone project where she designed an ankle foot orthosis for a young girl, enabling her to play on the beach with her friends and family. Witnessing the positive transformation in her life, as well as the profound effect on her parents, fueled Sydney’s aspiration to contribute to the field of medical device design.

Returning to my hometown of London, ON, she pursued a master's degree in biomedical engineering at Western University. Post-graduation, she was accepted into the Medical Innovation Fellowship, modeled after Stanford's Biodesign Program. Over a transformative 10.5 months, Sydney, alongside a diverse cohort of engineers, scientists, and clinicians, absorbed invaluable insights from entrepreneurial and medical device experts.

During this fellowship, she shadowed a diabetes doctor, which exposed me to the struggles faced by amputees with ill-fitting prosthetic legs. Solving this debilitating issue became her personal mission, and in collaboration with a passionate colleague, she founded Vessl. Embracing the ethos that reinvention is the key to continual growth for any organization or industry, our dedication is to develop tools that empower amputees to lead healthier, more comfortable lives. While our initial focus is on an automatically adjusting prosthetic socket, our vision encompasses a comprehensive suite of devices, providing clinicians with the necessary tools to support their patients throughout their amputee journey.

She is passionate about building Vessl into a high-performing team that can tackle complex issues with integrity. She strives to be the kind of leader that instills trust, respect, and inspiration into the way she conducts business, the way her employees reflect her leadership, and the way she engages with stakeholders and shareholders. She hopes to leave a legacy of compassion at Vessl and beyond.