Drexel University Athletics
Paying It Forward: Bob Knorr's Journey Back To Drexel
1/21/2022 1:37:00 PM | Drexel Athletics, Dragon Club
When Robert J. (Bob) Knorr III '83 made the decision to enroll at Drexel as an undergraduate, he was swayed by the opportunity to compete as a middle-distance runner for the Dragons. While he relished his experience as a student-athlete, his time in University City also afforded him numerous other opportunities, including the kickstart to a successful career and an introduction to his future wife. Now, Knorr utilizes his business and entrepreneurial acumen to pay it forward to the next generation of entrepreneurs that Drexel is helping to cultivate.
Route to Drexel
Knorr was recruited to Drexel's cross country and track and field programs in 1978, following in the footsteps of his former team captain at Council Rock High School in Bucks County, Don Kern '81 (Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Athletics Hall of Fame member, inducted 1989). Two years older than Knorr, Kern proved to be a mentor throughout his years of competition at both the high school and college level. Knorr was followed to Drexel by another Council Rock teammate, Paul Lerubino '83, who ran with him on their Pennsylvania State Champion 2-Mile Relay team.
Knorr values his time at Drexel both in the classroom and the lessons he learned competing at Franklin Field and logging countless training miles along the Schuylkill River and in Fairmount Park. The discipline of year-round training kept him focused and allowed him to succeed in his studies at Drexel. This discipline and commitment also prepared him for the challenges he would later face as a serial entrepreneur.
"As individuals we are defined by the beliefs we hold and the unique times and places that shape our journey," said Knorr. "Being a student-athlete at Drexel helped me develop many of the disciplines I would need to overcome the challenges of starting new business ventures during uncertain times and in unfamiliar places."
A Career-Launching Co-op
Although it has been decades since he graduated and hung up his track spikes, Knorr has remained on the move in a variety of places. In the 1980s he parlayed his unique co-op experience at Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol crisis into a management development program with the company. That experience taught him the importance of establishing, and adhering to, a strong set of corporate values.
In the 1990s, Knorr was given an opportunity by Johnson & Johnson to live and work in Europe during a time of major geo-political and economic changes in that part of the world. It was then that he created several new business units that restructured the company's supply chains in Western Europe and supported the introduction of their consumer products into the newly opened markets of Eastern Europe. Although he was still part of a major corporation, his experience was very entrepreneurial.
At the turn of the century Knorr returned with his family to the United States, this time with one of Johnson & Johnson's medical device subsidiaries based in Silicon Valley. Within a few years, Knorr decided it was time to set out on his own as an independent entrepreneur after seeing the potential to integrate traditional medical device technology with information technology. It was on this basis that Knorr established Tapestry Medical, a remote patient management company whose mission was to address the leading cause of emergency room visits for the millions of patients being treated for the risk of strokes and other blood clotting disorders.
By the end of the decade Tapestry Medical had become one of the fastest-growing private healthcare companies in the nation. As a pioneer in the newly emerging field of remote patient monitoring, Tapestry helped to save lives and reduce healthcare costs for patients, providers, and payers. Knorr served as CEO of Tapestry Medical until it was acquired and eventually integrated into Abbott Laboratories.
These days, Knorr's focus has shifted his attention to higher education and his newest venture, Alma Matters, which works with universities as an alumni engagement, giving and mentorship platform. Alma Matters has three initiatives: the iSpare app, where alumni and friends can make micro-donations to support student entrepreneurs; 1 Minute Mentor, where alumni can connect and engage with students; and Timeless Tartans, a university fashion line that utilizes a patented algorithm that incorporates a university's founding year and geographical coordinates to create unique design patterns. These patterns provide alumni a subtle, sophisticated way to show their school spirit. With Knorr's connection to the University, it is no surprise that Drexel was the first "time and place" he chose to introduce Timeless Tartans.
"It has been a pleasure working with Bob to officially license the Timeless Tartans products that promote our Drexel brand," said Jill Axel, senior associate athletics director for external relations. "It is wonderful to see a former student-athlete giving back to further engage our Drexel alumni and fans."
Giving Back to his Alma Mater
Alma Matters showcases Knorr's passion for seeing others succeed and getting a boost up, while also providing an outlet for offering advice, mentorship, subject matter expertise and even funding. Through Alma Matters, Knorr has worked with his own alma mater to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to Drexel's students through donor-supported competitions. In 2019 Knorr collaborated with the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship to establish the inaugural Fund Run competition. The Fund Run is a microdonation and engagement contest that allows alumni and friends of the Close School to support programs and initiatives that help student and alumni companies incubating in the Laurence A. Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship. The student entrepreneurs gain the hands-on experience of promoting their business and fundraising while competing with other student companies to earn funds that benefit these programs and initiatives that help their start-ups.
In addition to helping create innovative programming for Drexel's entrepreneurship students, Knorr guest lectures for the University, serves as a member of the External Advisory Board for the Close School and is supportive of its other initiatives, including the Drexel Startups Fund, which provides seed money to students for their startup ventures and access to mentorship, incubator space and introductions to venture capital funding.
College Sweethearts
While Knorr's meaningful moments at Drexel feature his athletic career, co-op experience, and the education that helped him become a successful businessman and entrepreneur, he cherishes most the moment that he met his wife, Rose, a design major and 1982 graduate of Nesbitt School of Design. Happily married for 38 years, Bob and Rose have not only built a full life together, but an enduring partnership that includes her involvement in business ventures and a shared love for running. They have also passed their running tradition along to their two children who are competitive runners and triathletes, as well. In addition, the couple serves on the board of directors of the nation's premier running camp founded and led by America's legendary miler, Jim Ryun.
While the varsity track and field program at Drexel is no longer active, the sport that influenced Knorr's decision on where to attend college has continued to impact his life in positive ways. He is grateful to Drexel for the ability to compete and for all the other opportunities that his experience on campus provided.
"Bob Knorr is a dedicated alumnus and a highly respected member of the Drexel Dragon community," said Donna De Carolis, founding dean of the Close School and Silverman Family Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership. "Bob continues to step up for Drexel and is fully committed to the future success of our student entrepreneurs, and we are profoundly grateful to him."
Route to Drexel
Knorr was recruited to Drexel's cross country and track and field programs in 1978, following in the footsteps of his former team captain at Council Rock High School in Bucks County, Don Kern '81 (Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Athletics Hall of Fame member, inducted 1989). Two years older than Knorr, Kern proved to be a mentor throughout his years of competition at both the high school and college level. Knorr was followed to Drexel by another Council Rock teammate, Paul Lerubino '83, who ran with him on their Pennsylvania State Champion 2-Mile Relay team.
Knorr values his time at Drexel both in the classroom and the lessons he learned competing at Franklin Field and logging countless training miles along the Schuylkill River and in Fairmount Park. The discipline of year-round training kept him focused and allowed him to succeed in his studies at Drexel. This discipline and commitment also prepared him for the challenges he would later face as a serial entrepreneur.
"As individuals we are defined by the beliefs we hold and the unique times and places that shape our journey," said Knorr. "Being a student-athlete at Drexel helped me develop many of the disciplines I would need to overcome the challenges of starting new business ventures during uncertain times and in unfamiliar places."
A Career-Launching Co-op
Although it has been decades since he graduated and hung up his track spikes, Knorr has remained on the move in a variety of places. In the 1980s he parlayed his unique co-op experience at Johnson & Johnson during the Tylenol crisis into a management development program with the company. That experience taught him the importance of establishing, and adhering to, a strong set of corporate values.
In the 1990s, Knorr was given an opportunity by Johnson & Johnson to live and work in Europe during a time of major geo-political and economic changes in that part of the world. It was then that he created several new business units that restructured the company's supply chains in Western Europe and supported the introduction of their consumer products into the newly opened markets of Eastern Europe. Although he was still part of a major corporation, his experience was very entrepreneurial.
At the turn of the century Knorr returned with his family to the United States, this time with one of Johnson & Johnson's medical device subsidiaries based in Silicon Valley. Within a few years, Knorr decided it was time to set out on his own as an independent entrepreneur after seeing the potential to integrate traditional medical device technology with information technology. It was on this basis that Knorr established Tapestry Medical, a remote patient management company whose mission was to address the leading cause of emergency room visits for the millions of patients being treated for the risk of strokes and other blood clotting disorders.
By the end of the decade Tapestry Medical had become one of the fastest-growing private healthcare companies in the nation. As a pioneer in the newly emerging field of remote patient monitoring, Tapestry helped to save lives and reduce healthcare costs for patients, providers, and payers. Knorr served as CEO of Tapestry Medical until it was acquired and eventually integrated into Abbott Laboratories.
These days, Knorr's focus has shifted his attention to higher education and his newest venture, Alma Matters, which works with universities as an alumni engagement, giving and mentorship platform. Alma Matters has three initiatives: the iSpare app, where alumni and friends can make micro-donations to support student entrepreneurs; 1 Minute Mentor, where alumni can connect and engage with students; and Timeless Tartans, a university fashion line that utilizes a patented algorithm that incorporates a university's founding year and geographical coordinates to create unique design patterns. These patterns provide alumni a subtle, sophisticated way to show their school spirit. With Knorr's connection to the University, it is no surprise that Drexel was the first "time and place" he chose to introduce Timeless Tartans.
"It has been a pleasure working with Bob to officially license the Timeless Tartans products that promote our Drexel brand," said Jill Axel, senior associate athletics director for external relations. "It is wonderful to see a former student-athlete giving back to further engage our Drexel alumni and fans."
Giving Back to his Alma Mater
Alma Matters showcases Knorr's passion for seeing others succeed and getting a boost up, while also providing an outlet for offering advice, mentorship, subject matter expertise and even funding. Through Alma Matters, Knorr has worked with his own alma mater to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to Drexel's students through donor-supported competitions. In 2019 Knorr collaborated with the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship to establish the inaugural Fund Run competition. The Fund Run is a microdonation and engagement contest that allows alumni and friends of the Close School to support programs and initiatives that help student and alumni companies incubating in the Laurence A. Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship. The student entrepreneurs gain the hands-on experience of promoting their business and fundraising while competing with other student companies to earn funds that benefit these programs and initiatives that help their start-ups.
In addition to helping create innovative programming for Drexel's entrepreneurship students, Knorr guest lectures for the University, serves as a member of the External Advisory Board for the Close School and is supportive of its other initiatives, including the Drexel Startups Fund, which provides seed money to students for their startup ventures and access to mentorship, incubator space and introductions to venture capital funding.
College Sweethearts
While Knorr's meaningful moments at Drexel feature his athletic career, co-op experience, and the education that helped him become a successful businessman and entrepreneur, he cherishes most the moment that he met his wife, Rose, a design major and 1982 graduate of Nesbitt School of Design. Happily married for 38 years, Bob and Rose have not only built a full life together, but an enduring partnership that includes her involvement in business ventures and a shared love for running. They have also passed their running tradition along to their two children who are competitive runners and triathletes, as well. In addition, the couple serves on the board of directors of the nation's premier running camp founded and led by America's legendary miler, Jim Ryun.
While the varsity track and field program at Drexel is no longer active, the sport that influenced Knorr's decision on where to attend college has continued to impact his life in positive ways. He is grateful to Drexel for the ability to compete and for all the other opportunities that his experience on campus provided.
"Bob Knorr is a dedicated alumnus and a highly respected member of the Drexel Dragon community," said Donna De Carolis, founding dean of the Close School and Silverman Family Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership. "Bob continues to step up for Drexel and is fully committed to the future success of our student entrepreneurs, and we are profoundly grateful to him."
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