Let's celebrate our PiBurner of the week:

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Shane Whitecloud

Owner of

Team Valor

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A Story That Inspired Us

Today, we are honored to feature another truly inspiring person as PiBurner of the Week.

Shane is a service-connected disabled Navy veteran, a father of three boys, and the owner of Team Valor -- an online shop that sells uniquely crafted items to those who appreciate great design and craftsmanship.

There is nothing like hearing his story in his own words. Shane recently gave a TED Talk -- from foster home to lead singer to business owner, his journey is an epic one. Gripping, moving, and absolutely exceptional. See it for yourself:

Shane's TED Talk

Shane works as a Public Affairs Officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. He also created a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, Veteran Development Group Inc. (opemploy.org), that focuses on assisting Veterans going through treatment court with costs tied to substance rehabilitation, counseling, and screening. His organization also assists Veterans with finding and procuring gainful employment.

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More About Shane

Shane is not new to helping Veterans. Prior to his current role, he was head of public relations for the Veterans Resource Centers of America for 13 years, working with homeless veterans, while simultaneously working as a rock radio personality on FM station Rock 104.5 for 23 years. He even hosted his own podcast, American Warfighter Radio.

A public speaker and subject matter expert on suicide, substance addiction, homelessness, and military sexual trauma, Shane currently serves on the Sexual Assault and Harassment Prevention workgroup under the Secretary of the VA. He is a published author in national magazines and is currently writing his first book, titled after his 2021 TED Talk: "The Path to Empathy."

If that wasn't enough -- Shane is also the lead singer/frontman of the rock band Seasons of Insanity, and the proud father of 3 boys ranging from age 4 to 26, and grandfather of one (but we don't mention the G-word!).

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What Motivates Shane

"Over the past two years, being creative has been my therapy, and being able to make other people happy has been my reward. I also love the idea of building something up from my garage into something bigger that I can one day hand down to my children."

Satisfaction from creating something new is a deeply ingrained human instinct, and we find this creativity to be the driving force of many a PiBurner.

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Shane's Shop, YouTube, and Facebook

Shane runs a full creative operation out of his garage: 3D printing, powder coating, sublimation, CO2 laser engraving and cutting, DTG (direct to garment), DTF (direct to film), screen printing, and a 20-needle embroidery machine. The man does it all.

His shop features custom engraved drinkware like tumblers and bottles, and exquisite cutting boards. It's still growing, so check back often!

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Favorite Projects

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Thanks for Being AWESOME, Shane.

It is a true honor to put our PiBurn in the hands of a real American hero. This is what drives us at LensDigital -- beyond creating great tools, it's helping people like Shane succeed in their endeavors. What could be more rewarding than being part of such an awesome community of makers?

Shane Whitecloud -- thank you for being a hero, an inspiration, and of course, a PiBurner!

That's all for today my friends. Happy PiBurning!
Stan & Len

Want to be a featured PiBurner yourself? Find out how!