Set in Motion

When a 600 lb exercise machine fell on Natalie Barnhard at the age of 24 rendering her quadriplegic, she could have given up. 

The Situation

The catastrophic accident injured her spinal cord and changed her life forever. Instead of accepting the implied limitations, Natalie sought intense spinal cord rehabilitation in Atlanta, GA—moving 900 miles away from her WNY home for a period of seven years to gain access to therapies shown to improve the ability of people with spinal cord injuries.

Over years of extremely hard work, Natalie reached incredible physical and emotional gains as a result of specialized care. With these improvements blossomed a vision: to use her first-hand experience to design a facility here in WNY that comprehensively paves the road to recovery for others with spinal cord injuries and movement disorders.

Upon homecoming, Natalie engaged White Sea on an exploratory assessment to clarify the scope of her dream, and realize her vision of hope.

The White Sea Approach

White Sea’s deep dive assessment included an intense market analysis, examination of potential service portfolios, funding needs, costs, partnership affiliations, as well as branding and marketing strategies. A curated team of local executive professionals was assembled that had a deep understanding of area healthcare, therapeutic and academic industries. The well-connected team carefully navigated the regional SCI ecosystem, accessing and engaging major players and decision-makers in the field such as Dent Neurological Institute, Erie County Medical Center and the University at Buffalo. Strategic insights were swiftly gained from our seasoned collaborations, as was a groundswell of support and encouragement from partners recognizing the need for a community solution to care for people living with SCI.

Motion Project Results & Status

While collaborations continue with institutions in the neurological, trauma, academic and recovery fields, White Sea is prepared to operationalize and hit the ground running with the formal launch of The motion Project in the second half of 2019. The team has developed a sophisticated brand, a full suite of creative communication strategies, and a robust marketing plan with hopes to soon introduce the WNY SCI community to unique athletic rehabilitation center called Motion Project. Navigating Motion Project through the turbulence of launching a new service into a new marketplace is the cornerstone of White Sea’s expertise, with our experienced team guiding the client towards launch with a rapid cycle project management discipline.