Episode 43 | September 19, 2023

A SHIELD for Serving First Responders

A SHIELD for Serving First Responders

In this episode, Jim Sorgi and David Smith from ProTeam Tactical share why ProTeam came to be and their mission of serving First Responders with the best mental health app. They take us through their journey to tackle the behavioral health aspects of the job for First Responders by applying technology to an underserved group who greatly need the support and resources!

Jim and his partner Joey Vandever, also a former professional athlete, knew they needed to up the level of care for these men and woman who serve our community. They spent the first years focusing on the physical needs of the job with tremendous success. And most recently they saw the need to care for the behavioral health side of the job for these First Responders. So they embarked on building SHIELD, a mobile-first product that launched earlier in 2023 to help First Responders assess where they are in 6 key categories.

  • Sleep
  • Stress
  • PTSD
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Substance Abuse
  • Financial Wellness (**Soon to be released**)

ProTeam is not a typical tech company, they are more tech enabled; and yet their journey to build a digital product to aid in this pursuit was one of learning and compromise. There will always be more features than time and money allow for. This team learned how to focus on the most important features to get the most for the users they serve. There are practical take-a-ways from this conversation: why deciding to say no to a feature is good, why a solution in search of a problem can hinder success, and the power of getting feedback from your target users.

We’d love to hear from you! Reach out to [email protected] to share your feedback on this show.

You can find more information about this podcast at sep.com/podcast and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!

Episode Guests

David Smith

David Smith

Director of Business Development

David is the Director of Business Development and joined ProTeam because he shares in the mission and family connection to First Responders.

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Jim Sorgi

Jim Sorgi

Co-Founder

Jim Sorgi is a former professional football player (Go Colts!) and co-founder of ProTeam Tactical. ProTeam’s mission is to bring the level of care that pro athletes receive to First Responders. Jim has a heart for First Responders because members of his family serve!

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Todd Trimble

Todd Trimble

Lead Software Engineer

Todd is a Lead Software Engineer. Since joining SEP in 1997, he has brought invaluable expertise to client projects across multiple industries, including Aircraft Engine Controls, Vehicle Automation, and Healthcare. Todd's recent work ranges from embedded C and C++ on Linux to C# and JavaScript on IIS.

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Episode Host

Zac Darnell

Zac Darnell

Engagement Manager

Zac’s professional journey blends hands-on product development expertise with strategic leadership in consulting and technology, laying the groundwork for his current role at SEP.

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