Hi hi. I’m Keith!

I love sharing ideas that challenge how we think about touch, technology, and accessibility. My talks explore how haptics and wearable design can create more inclusive, intuitive experiences—whether for navigation, movement learning, or digital interaction. I’ve had the privilege of speaking at TED, SXSW, The Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, and leading institutions, but what excites me most is helping people discover new possibilities in their own work.

Whether I’m speaking to artists, students, designers, technologists, or business leaders, my goal is to make complex ideas feel accessible and actionable—so we can build a future where technology feels as natural as touch itself.

Take a listen to my TED Talk.

My Superpowers

My Biography

I am a mechanical engineer, accessories designer, and industrial designer turned award-winning haptics enthusiast, serial entrepreneur, and public speaker. My passion lies in developing haptic products and systems that reimagine touch as an intuitive communication interface—helping people embody information in new yet familiar ways. I’m driven by the accessibility of touch, equitable business models, movement learning, and wearable technology. Currently, I serve as the Leonard Pryor Fellow for Accessibility, teaching Product Design at the Kansas City Art Institute. Always open to new collaborations.

Ways to get in touch

Teachers have had a profound impact on my life, and I consider it an honor to pay that forward by mentoring and supporting students the way my own teachers inspired me. As the Leonard Pryor Fellow for Accessibility at the Kansas City Art Institute—a visiting artist fellowship sponsored by the Hearst Foundation—I have the unique opportunity to guide campus-wide accessibility initiatives.

Recently elected Chair of the IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Sustainability) Council, I work with a dedicated team to help foster a more inclusive and supportive learning environment. I’ve also created two internships for six students and dedicate several hours volunteering to mentor and support their projects. Teaching isn’t just a profession for me—it’s a way to invest in the next generation of designers, innovators, and change-makers.

I am open to teaching courses in wearable technology, haptic design, physical computing, product design, entrepreneurship, accessories design, and emerging media & technology. With a decade of real-world experience bringing ideas to market—raising over $1.5 million for my first startup and building a product that made history—I offer students more than just theory. I share both the wins and the failures, helping them navigate the challenges of turning concepts into reality with practical insights, creative problem-solving, and a mindset for scrappy and thoughtful innovation.

At WearWorks (now called Haptic), we build products that communicate navigation through touch. Our flagship technologies, HapticNav (formerly Wayband App) and the Wayband wristband, guide users to their destination using only vibrotactile feedback—no screens, no sound, just touch.

As cofounder, board member, former CEO, and Chief Haptic Officer, I helped build the business, grow the team, raise over $1.5 million, and lead early technology development. Our work made history by helping the first blind runner complete the NYC Marathon without a sighted guide, proving that haptics can solve real-world challenges beyond gaming and entertainment.

WearWorks set the stage for a future where navigation, accessibility, and intuitive touch-based communication redefine how we experience the world.

Want to learn more about how WearWorks (now Haptic) is helping businesses integrate haptic navigation into their products and customer experiences? Our simple API integration makes it seamless to add touch-based guidance, enhancing accessibility, wayfinding, and user engagement.

Discover how haptics can create intuitive, screen-free navigation for your customers. Let’s build the future of touch together.

My work spans from building haptic wearables and accessible apps to designing luxury handbags and curating touchable art exhibitions. At the core of everything I do are three pillars:

Haptics. Wearables. Movement.

Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to work with organizations like TED, SXSW, The MET Museum, Google for Startups, Kansas City Art Institute, Verizon Forward for Good, Remarkable Accelerator, Mini Cooper, SOSV, Soundboard Ventures, Quake VC, EY, Coach, Calvin Klein, Rebecca Minkoff, The National Science Foundation, The National Institutes of Health, The Smithsonian, Discovery Channel, Ryot Films, and the Yokohama government.

I’m deeply grateful for these partnerships—and always excited to explore new collaborations. Take a look at a few projects below, and if something sparks your curiosity, let’s connect.

Haptics (We have a Vision) | by Keithius

In 2022, after more than two decades as a hobbyist freestyle rapper, I made a New Year’s resolution: write and record my first song. Nine months in, I had made no progress. The process felt overwhelming, and I struggled to find a topic worth pushing through the challenge. Then it hit me—”No one knows what the word haptic means. If I could make a song explaining it, that would be worth it!”

The story behind “Haptics (We have a Vision)”

I started by writing the first verse a capella, then reached out to Markeith Price, a two-time Paralympian with a visual impairment and a long-time collaborator, to get his feedback on my references to the blind community. During our conversation, he casually mentioned that he was also a music producer—Sonic P.—and offered to create a beat. With the beat in hand, I hit another roadblock: I had never written lyrics to a track before. Another call—to my close friend and published rapper The Source Academy Kid—led to him reworking my first verse and crafting the hook.

As fate would have it, I had some investors from the SXSW Innovation Fund visiting our office. Given SXSW’s deep roots in music, I asked for their thoughts. Not only did they love it, but they also suggested that I perform it live at SXSW 2023—as an official company update—to open the SXSW Pitch Awards in front of 3,000 people. At this point, the song wasn’t even finished, and suddenly my first-ever performance was booked. What started as nerves quickly turned into full-blown panic—but it was an opportunity too good to turn down.

So, I worked for the next four months.

In March 2023, I took the stage—and rocked it. Mic drop. Standing ovation. After the performance, I was approached by a VP at Penske Media, who asked how he could help. I told him I needed a recording studio in NYC. He called Billboard’s NYC office, and within weeks, Markeith and I had a space to record. The video above was taken at Billboard NYC during that session.

“Haptics (We Have a Vision)“ is now available on SoundCloud, and what started as a personal challenge has taken on a life of its own. I’ve since been invited to perform at scientific conferences around the world, using music as a platform to share my vision of haptics.

This experience was more than just writing a song—it was a lesson in trusting the process. It started as a creative impulse with no clear outcome, but by listening to that internal voice and following the path I believed in, the universe aligned in ways I never could have predicted.

The Haptic 9 Co. is dedicated to exploring, advancing, and implementing the science of haptics. Our mission is to build “The 9 Bridges“—nine key challenges that must be addressed to bring haptic design into the mainstream.

We research, develop, and design touch-based technologies that transform how people interact with information—enhancing accessibility, movement learning, and sensory communication across industries. Whether designing our own products or consulting with companies, we bring haptic concepts to life and to market.

Partner with us. Let’s shape the future of touch.

We’re building a platform that helps physical therapy patients stay engaged and accountable in their Home Exercise Programs—the key to a full recovery. At the same time, we empower physical therapists with remote monitoring tools to track progress and improve outcomes.

Better results for patients. Stronger reputations for physical therapists and clinics.

We really want to make sure we are building the product the community needs!

At HeavyLab 9, we craft beautifully designed, unexpectedly heavy objects that transform everyday movements into opportunities for strength, focus, and mastery. By adding deliberate resistance, our weighted products—from water bottles to brooms—turn routine actions into powerful training moments.

Movement meets design. Function meets challenge.

Sign up to learn more about our first collection of 9 heavy products!

My Hobbies