Startup spotlight: Bona grad turns lacrosse injury into startup for college athletes
Max Brie was a junior on the men's lacrosse team at St. Bonaventure University when he suffered an injury that would change his life.
He was at practice when he was hit with a lacrosse ball in a spot on the back of his head not protected by his helmet or padding.
"I immediately dropped to the ground," Brie recalled a little over two years after his injury. "Everything in that moment went dark. I was not able to move. I was not able to talk. I could just lay there and scream and cry for help."
Brie had a serious concussion and faced a "long and tough rehab process" where he had to relearn how to walk and perform everyday tasks.
He spent most of his time alone in a dark room. A Montreal native, Brie's parents could not come be with him because the border was closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He was struggling with his mental health.
That's when he learned that 1 in 5 college athletes deal with a mental health crisis. Further, he learned that more than 50% of athletes graduate with student loan debt.
He wanted to do something to help, and that's where he got the idea for his startup, Dalorum.
Dalorum is an online community for student athletes that offers resources, including sponsorship opportunities for their name, image and likeness.
"I said to myself, 'there's a business opportunity here,' " said Brie, now 23. "But there's also an opportunity to change hundreds of thousands of lives."