The last time Dan Levitan worked on a project with his two brothers, Richard and Robert, they were in high school. In the time since, on opposite sides of the country, the Levitans have found individual success in venture capital, entrepreneurship and emergency medicine.
Now the brothers are teaming up again ― turning their attention and unique talents to the devastating impacts of COVID-19.
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The Levitans have formed a new non-profit called Prone2Help that provides special cushions to healthcare workers to aid in “proning,” the practice of positioning patients on their stomachs.
The no-cost treatment has been shown to improve comfort and help non-intubated patients breathe more easily, reducing the need and demand for ventilators. And it’s been called a life saver.
It’s a challenge the brothers never imagined tackling together. But in many ways, they’re ideally suited to take it on.
Dan Levitan is the co-founder of Maveron, the Seattle-based venture capital firm he started with former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Robert Levitan is a serial entrepreneur in New York City who started such companies as iVillage and Flooz. And Richard Levitan is an emergency physician in New Hampshire, the founder of Airway Cam Technologies and a leader in intubation and airway management.
The impetus for Prone2Help came as Richard was in triage mode during a high-profile 10-day emergency room stint in New York City, volunteering his services and “drinking out of a fire hose” at Bellevue Hospital, as Dan put it. Richard and his brother spoke every night, and he told Dan the hospital needed proning mattresses.
They sourced “prone comfort bolsters” from a San Diego company called EarthLite and sent 10 to Bellevue Hospital and five more to Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. As cushions went out and word of good results came back, Richard told his brothers they had to keep it up.
Back in Seattle, Dan reached out to his friend Jack Anderson, founder of the longtime brand design firm Hornall Anderson, which has since become Sid Lee. A team there put together a Prone2Help website in days, at no charge.
To date, Prone2Help has distributed more than 250 proning cushions to more than 125 hospitals in 30 states. Healthcare organizations can reach out for free cushions, and those who are able can donate money through the Prone2Help website.
Dan said it has been a “fun project” working with his brothers for the first time since they were kids growing up in New York. “It kind of revisits all the sibling issues you might expect,” he said.
Dan is four years older than his twin brothers, and he joked about the dynamic of basically launching a startup of sorts with them — especially considering his years of experience helping new companies get off the ground.
“I am older and one of the two of them thinks of me as the older brother and the other one doesn’t. I’ll let you imagine which one that might be,” he said. “I used to try and divide and conquer with them when I was a kid.”
Now the brothers are dividing responsibilities, with Richard on the front lines, Robert acting as executive director of Prone2Help and Dan dealing with the funding, a role consistent with his Maveron duties where his notable investments have included Zulily, eBay, Trupanion, Drugstore.com and Allbirds. The work has brought the three together and given them a renewed appreciation for each other’s skills.
“Dan has financed hundreds of companies and advised hundreds of entrepreneurs,” Robert said. “It’s always great to work with smart people who have valuable experience, but it’s extra special when it is your brother.”
‘Right man for the job’
Richard’s skills as an emergency physician dealing with COVID pneumonia have certainly gained attention. He’s written for The New York Times and been written about, when the co-op board at his brother’s apartment building told the doctor he couldn’t stay there.
Richard has been a guest on TV news shows including “Amanpour & Co.” on PBS and “Anderson Cooper 360” on CNN. He’s been a prolific tweeter throughout the pandemic, sharing his insights, frustrations and victories, and even gaining the attention of Elon Musk.
Dr. Richard Levitan explains what we can learn from Italy in order to decrease the number of patients on ventilators. @hari @airwaycam #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/PYAmf7lQne
— Amanpour and Company (@AmanpourCoPBS) April 28, 2020
https://t.co/6Ndc9dBjuN. day to day operations handled by my brother Robert @prone2help, and initiation of gifting started by my brother Dan.@Maveron It’s a family affair (aka Sly and The Family Stones!) https://t.co/az4HTB3Zbg
— airwaycam (@airwaycam) May 2, 2020
Recognizing the gravity of the situation that Richard leapt into when he went to New York to help fight the virus, his brothers aren’t shy about praising his efforts. Robert called him “courageous” and “the right man for the job” after 30 years as an airway expert.
“Richard always seems to find practical solutions to complex problems,” Robert said. “Proning and pulse oximeters are not new discoveries. But Richard’s message about these tools and their use in the battle against COVID-19 are making a significant impact.”
Dan called Richard an “adventurer” who has been that way all his life, and said that while he worries about him, he knows it’s his calling.
“I’m just very grateful that he’s had an opportunity to use his skills and hopefully contribute to the development of knowledge beating this terrible disease,” Dan said.
Richard deflected the praise, saying he was no hero. He called out doctors, nurses, EMTs, respiratory therapists, janitors, food clerks and bus drivers in the city who faced the disease before he got there and are still there for the long haul.
What’s next?
The brothers are now talking to other mattress manufacturers to meet demand. They’ve arranged a deal with FedEx to reduce shipping costs, and Dan connected Richard with a “best-of-breed” PR firm.
“I was inspired by Richard’s volunteering in New York to ask myself, ‘What can I do to help?'” Robert said. “At a time when most of us are being asked to simply stay home, I am grateful to have found a way to be of service.”
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And in the end, brothers who went separate ways on their career paths have come together again, to gain a new appreciation for what they each can do, during the most trying of times. Robert said the brothers have always been mission driven in their work, and this important mission has been impactful.
“Sometimes, when thinking about it, I smile and say to myself, ‘Our parents are looking down and feeling very proud.'”
Calling himself a “useful widget” because of the skills he brings to the ongoing fight, Richard, too, reflected on the lottery of life.
“It’s my first pandemic, but it has made me realize who I love and what I care about,” he said. “I love my brothers.”
