I joined DEEP in January 2025 to launch our US operations. Our first outing was SCOPE in Orlando, and I was asked to find a way to announce that we had arrived. Kai Langel, our CEO, was leading a panel. We had T-shirts printed. It still did not feel like enough, on stage or in the photos afterwards.
One of the principles we hold at DEEP is the idea of a pink door. The work we do is scientific, serious, and rigorous. None of that means we cannot have a little fun with how we show up. So if we needed something to wear, why not pink shoes? Kai Langel was game, on the condition that we could actually find him a pair.
This was our US launch, so Converse All-Stars felt symbolic. And what could be more American than a pair of Chuck Taylors? As a bonus, Converse is headquartered in Boston, where DEEP’s US operations are based, and the flagship store there has a studio that will customize a pair on the spot. A few days before SCOPE I walked in and had several pairs of pink low-tops customized with the letters DEEP.
They were an instant hit. Comfortable, according to the team. Cute, according to the audience.
Every DEEP team member who represents us at an event now gets a pair, and we are instantly recognizable. Looking for the DEEP team? Just scan the crowd and look for the pink shoes! We have also become good friends with the team at the Converse flagship store, which was not in the plan but is a nice bonus.
Getting digital measures into drug development takes a lot of hard, unglamorous alignment work between sponsors, technology providers, and regulators. Being approachable while we do it is not a distraction from the science. It is part of how the science gets done.
If you spot the pink shoes at a conference this year, come and say hello!
DEEP Measures is a collaborative technology platform and framework that helps pharmaceutical companies, technology providers, and regulators align on digital measures that are scientifically valid, clinically meaningful, and operationally ready for clinical trials. DEEP helps builds digital measures for pharmaceutical drug development.