David Schleppenbach, CEO of Tactile Engineering, recently visited the Greater Lafayette Career Academy (GLCA) to share his entrepreneurial journey with students in entrepreneurship and manufacturing classes. Schleppenbach’s company, Tactile Engineering, specializes in assistive technology. Their mission is to create accessible, affordable devices for individuals who are visually impaired.

Schleppenbach leads a team who developed the Cadence electronic braille tablet, a portable device that aims to replace bulky paper braille.

“Seventy percent of visually impaired individuals are unemployed,” Schleppenbach told the students. “I wanted to create a device to enrich their lives. I believe we are doing that—changing the world one person at a time.”

Schleppenbach’s story inspired students, like Harrison High School junior Shawn Martin: “I believe this invention has the potential for great success because it addresses a specific need for the blind community. With a few competitors in this space, the inventor took a bold risk and became a very successful entrepreneur. This determination and innovation are truly inspiring to me.”

“Mr. Schleppenbach is an extremely generous man,” says Tippecanoe Online Academy student Meredith Gooden. “He gave me inspiration to help people in as many ways as possible.”