Deborah Kendrick
With so many job titles attached to his name, you might think that Hoby Wedler is either approaching retirement age or is just a guy who enjoys reinventing himself. Neither is the case. Now in his mid-30s, Wedler is simply a brilliant, energetic, creative guy who started out at a run and just keeps adding new blossoms to the vibrant bouquet that is his life.
Wedler identified a passion for chemistry when he was only a teenager, and thought that would be his chosen career. Born completely blind, he knew getting a PhD in chemistry would have its obstacles, but he is a man who seems to relish obstacles—or the joy in finding the most rewarding path for circumventing them.
He did get that PhD in chemistry, but he knew even before that goal was realized that he probably wasn't meant to stay in that subject for long. As part of his pursuit of that degree, he taught college classes and found that while he has a natural affinity for teaching, doing so in an era where so much relies on visual information just wasn't as satisfying as he believes the work experience should be.
Other kinds of teaching provided even more joy. As opportunities arose, Wedler just kept exploring and growing. His has been the best kind of growth, the kind that enriches plenty of other lives along the way.
Childhood
Hoby Wedler had what might be considered an idyllic childhood, particularly for a child who was born completely blind. When Wedler was born and medical professionals apprised his parents of the news that he was completely blind, they naturally had a moment or two of dismay. Luckily for Wedler's future, however, his mother's longtime friend had grown up in the company of a blind adult who set the tone for blindness being a challenge, but not a catastrophe. His mother set out to give her second child every experience that her first child was given, and to do so without making an unnecessary fuss about blindness.
Already a teacher, Wedler's mother went back to school to learn to be a teacher of visually impaired kids. By the time he was five, his mother was immersed in what would be a 27-year career as a teacher of the visually impaired. She wasn't her son's teacher—although she was his orientation and mobility instructor for a time when he was in middle grades—but the professional knowledge that bridged her home and work life was an immeasurable benefit to her bright young son.
Wedler and his brother, two years older, enjoyed sailing, swimming, hiking, and cycling. And Wedler demonstrated an early flair for creating in the kitchen.
Construction and renovation projects brought the family together and provided a wealth of hands-on experience with building, plumbing, and mechanical skills that some kids, blind or sighted, never learn. From the age of about eight, he says his job was to make meals. He made soups and stews, reveling in interesting combinations of ingredients, and experimenting with techniques for enhancing a variety of flavors. His parents constantly encouraged both him and his sighted brother, he says, and never told them anything was impossible.
Youth Slam and Access Science
Wedler was still a teenager when he participated in an exciting project sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, in which he and other young blind people, with guidance from scientists both blind and sighted, actually built and launched a rocket. As thrilling as that adventure was, it simply further solidified Wedler's belief that if you believe in yourself, anything is possible.
He worked as a mentor in NFB's Youth Slam, and in 2011, launched his own nonprofit organization, Access Science, which held science camps for blind students for the next five years.
Meanwhile, he was getting that PhD in chemistry, and had been invited to use another of his many talents—his fascination with maximizing and integrating sense experiences—to go to work for Francis Ford Coppola. Growing up in California's wine country, Wedler has always been around wine. As a self-proclaimed foodie, he also loves thinking about flavors. The idea of hosting a wine tasting (dubbed "Tastings in the Dark") for a leading vineyard, and having total license to lead those events in a way that invited participants to employ all their senses was, well, a delicious invitation indeed. He is still holding Tasting in the Dark events and still loving the experience, but perhaps more importantly, that adventure served as a jumping-off place for other endeavors.
Many of his projects are rooted in what Wedler calls "sensory literacy." We have five senses, and those who have all five tend to give more power or credence to the sense of sight. In an exploration of the senses guided by Wedler, participants expand their recognition to examine information brought to the mind by hearing, touch, taste, and smell as well. He has put these ideas into practice consulting in Italy, orchestrating olive oil tastings in New York, and collaborating on ideas with at least one celebrity chef. Exploring the senses from the perspective of a scientist and with a goal as simple as sharing something delicious has proven to be a win-win formula for a growing number of opportunities.
From Science to Senses
The first company Wedler launched was Access Science. In camps from 2011 to 2016, he introduced blind students to a wealth of experiences and experiments, rooted both in science and just ordinary living. "If you want to do something and you believe in yourself," he says, "it will happen." That was the message he wanted to impart to blind students younger than himself, and it was a fantastic journey.
In order to make room for his latest entrepreneurial adventures, Access Science is dormant at the moment, though someone else may eventually take it on.
The wine tastings he led for Coppola, events where the focus is literally on the taste, not the sight, of wine, merged his loves of food, flavor, and science beautifully. Under his company Senspoint, Wedler and his life and business partner Justin Valladingham have consulted with food and flavor experts in the United States and abroad, applying his principles of sensory literacy in a variety of settings.
Since both Wedler and Valladingham love food and love to cook, their latest entrepreneurial venture, Hoby's Essentials, was a logical next step. Hoby's Essentials are spice blends created by Wedler, and will be the first spices to bear braille labels on every product. As of this writing, there are two blends available, Rosemary Salt and Happy Paprika, which can be used to enhance flavors in a variety of foods. The products were launched, of all places, at two Nascar races (in Michigan and Florida respectively), and provided yet another new adventure for this entrepreneurial lover of life.
Making connections is another thing Wedler does exceedingly well. He has connected with astronauts and celebrity chefs, CEOs and educators, farmers and teachers, all in the pursuit of one idea or another. In a Clubhouse chat, he met a marketing expert whose father had been blind. She heard Wedler's story, learned about his new venture, and Hoby's Essentials were soon being advertised on Nascar driver Colin Garrett's vehicle!
Five Mindsets
Consulting on a variety of projects, launching a collection of spices, looking toward launching a line of cocktails (the company will be called Blind Truth), and serving as a volunteer for more than one organization—the sum of all these parts certainly affords Wedler plenty of room for bragging rights. But bragging is not in his quiver of arrows for success.
He likes to talk about what he calls his "five mindsets for overcoming challenges." These principles are simple truths that have worked well for him and that he passionately shares in the hope they will help others raise their own expectations for themselves. Wedler has achieved much and will no doubt achieve much more, but his genuine joy and gratitude for a fulfilling life are readily evident and every bit as responsible for his success as are the rudimentary building blocks piled up along the way. His foundation of braille and orientation and technology and a solid work ethic have all contributed to his entrepreneurial success, but more valuable perhaps and more available to others are the points he stresses in his five mindsets.
My favorites among them are:
- Don't compare yourself to others
- Break challenges into small pieces
- Don't be afraid to fail
These strategies and more have built a dazzling career for Wedler. What he doesn't tell you, but I will, is that also key to his success have been the traits of kindness, gratitude, and a palpable joy in life. One of his goals is to elevate happiness for others through his products, his teaching, and his ideas. Just knowing him elevates mine!
This article is made possible in part by generous funding from the James H. and Alice Teubert Charitable Trust, Huntington, West Virginia.
