Steps2Walk

What Steps2Walk does

Steps2Walk is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian nonprofit founded in 2000 by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Myerson and headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The organization delivers multi-day surgical missions in underserved regions, deploying 125-250+ volunteer foot and ankle specialists to perform complex deformity corrections while simultaneously training local surgeons through lectures, live surgeries, cadaver labs, and ongoing mentorship. Programs have reached more than 24 countries, treating over 1,700 patients and training more than 500 local surgeons since inception.

Its core product set comprises the Surgical Missions program, the Steps2Walk Global Institute (launched February 2024) which bundles telemedicine, pediatric, resident/fellow, and cadaveric training, and the Steps2Walk Chat Groups that sustain year-round case consultation. The technology stack is operational rather than AI-driven: telemedicine training is delivered via Ohana One smart glasses enabling real-time remote surgical guidance, currently active in 6 countries. Notable recognition includes Dr. Myerson's 2023 AAOS Humanitarian Award.

Steps2Walk's business model is donation-driven rather than commercial. Funding comes from individual donations, the Stepping Together corporate and employee giving campaign (which has secured $4.9M+ since 2022), and in-kind grants of implants and equipment from orthopedic device companies — most prominently a $4.7 million in-kind donation from Orthofix Medical in December 2023. All surgical care is delivered free of charge to patients, and the organization leverages a small paid staff (~11-15) against a large volunteer faculty to scale program output.

Name

Steps2Walk

Legal name

Steps2Walk, Inc.

Website

https://steps2walk.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Steps2Walk is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs volunteer orthopedic surgical missions in 24+ underserved countries, training local surgeons and providing free foot and ankle deformity corrections through the Global Institute and telemedicine programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Surgical Services

NAICS

Offices of Podiatrists (621391)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Foot & Ankle (HLAKALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Podiatry & Foot/Ankle Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAL)

Keywords

• Humanitarian surgical missions
• Foot ankle deformity care
• Orthopedic surgeon training
• Global health volunteer surgery
• Nonprofit medical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenwood Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations from the public to fund surgical missions and training programs. Donations provide the gift of surgery and enable training of local surgeons.
2. Corporate Partnerships and In-Kind Donations: Corporate partners provide equipment, implants, and financial support. Orthofix Medical provided $4.7 million in in-kind donation including orthopedic foot and ankle implants and instrument sets.
3. Stepping Together Campaign: Corporate and employee giving campaign that includes employee fundraising, company matching, and contests to secure funds for the Global Institute and mission programs. Secured over $4.9 million since launch in 2022.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Steps2Walk performs free surgical correction of disabling foot and ankle deformities for underserved patients in low- and middle-income countries, while simultaneously training local orthopedic surgeons through intensive 5-day mission programs that combine patient treatment, lectures, live surgeries, and cadaver labs. Care and education are delivered by volunteer foot and ankle specialists led by founder Dr. Mark Myerson, with year-round reinforcement through the Steps2Walk Global Institute, telemedicine mentorship, and ongoing chat-based case consultation.

Product overview

Steps2Walk is a humanitarian nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that operates as a unified platform delivering surgical care and surgeon education to underserved regions worldwide. The core offering is the Steps2Walk Surgical Missions program—a five-day intensive where volunteer orthopedic surgeons perform complex foot and ankle reconstructions while training local surgeons. This is complemented by the Steps2Walk Global Institute, which provides ongoing educational initiatives including telemedicine training using smart glasses technology (in partnership with Ohana One), pediatric training, resident/fellow programs, cadaveric training, and chat group mentorship. The Stepping Together Campaign is a corporate giving initiative that supports funding for these programs. The organization does not operate as a traditional software or technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Steps2Walk Global Institute: An educational initiative under Steps2Walk that delivers ongoing and sustainable educational initiatives in underserved regions, including local surgeon training during missions, telemedicine initiatives, pediatric training, resident/fellow programs, and cadaveric training.

Products and services

• Steps2Walk Surgical Missions 5-day in-country mission trips in which volunteer foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons perform free corrective surgery for underserved patients while training local surgeons through lectures, live surgeries, and cadaver labs. Active in 24+ countries.
• Steps2Walk Global Institute Formalized educational arm of Steps2Walk that structures and delivers surgeon training across multiple subspecialty tracks, providing year-round capacity-building beyond individual mission trips.
• Telemedicine Training Program Remote surgical mentorship delivered via smart-glass video (in partnership with Ohana One), enabling host-country surgeons to receive real-time guidance from Steps2Walk volunteer surgeons between and after in-person missions.
• Pediatric Training Program Specialized training track within the Global Institute focused on pediatric foot and ankle deformity correction, addressing conditions such as clubfoot and congenital deformities in children in underserved settings.
• Resident and Fellow Training Program Training track within the Global Institute that exposes orthopedic residents and fellows in host countries to advanced foot and ankle surgical techniques during mission trips and ongoing remote mentorship.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,700+ patients treated with life-changing surgeries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Ohana OnecoreTechnology or Integration · 14 February 2024Partnership for telemedicine programming using virtual 'smart' glasses technology that enables Steps2Walk to remotely guide surgeons through surgeries in real-time. Currently operational in 6 countries, expanding training capabilities while reducing travel requirements.
• Paragon 28coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 April 2020Paragon 28 partnered with Steps2Walk to host the World Advanced Foot and Ankle Congress, a 2-day virtual event with 32 hours of content. Over 5,000 healthcare providers from 98 countries registered, with 100+ surgeon speakers from 35 countries. The partnership provided free educational content for foot and ankle surgeons during COVID-19.
• Paragon 28coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing ongoing support to Steps2Walk programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mending Kids: Nonprofit providing free surgical care to children worldwide, with mission trips and partner hospitals. Smaller and more general in scope but operates with a similar volunteer-driven pediatric surgical mission model.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships delivering free surgical care and training in sub-Saharan Africa. Much larger in scale and broader in surgical scope, but the closest analog for sustained, mission-based surgical delivery and capacity building in LMICs.
• Health Volunteers Overseas: U.S.-based nonprofit that sends healthcare professionals to teach and train colleagues in resource-scarce countries. Strong overlap on the education and training mission but does not deliver direct surgical care.
• Medical Missions for Children: Provides surgical and medical care to children in underserved regions through volunteer medical teams. Comparable pediatric-surgery mission model, though broader across specialties than Steps2Walk's foot and ankle focus.

Direct peers

• SIGN Fracture Care International: Humanitarian nonprofit that designs and supplies orthopedic implant systems and trains local surgeons in low- and middle-income countries. Shares the same mission model of pairing surgical care with sustainable surgeon education in underserved regions.
• Operation Rainbow: Volunteer surgical nonprofit that provides free orthopedic surgeries to children in developing countries. Shares the volunteer-surgeon model, short-duration mission structure, and pediatric orthopedic focus.
• ReSurge International: Provides reconstructive plastic surgery and training in underserved countries, with a Training the Trainers model analogous to Steps2Walk's Global Institute. Overlaps on foot and ankle reconstructive cases and on building local surgical capacity.
• Operation Walk: Volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides free joint replacement surgeries in the U.S. and abroad, with a strong focus on training local surgical teams. Closely mirrors Steps2Walk's model of combining direct surgical care with surgeon education in developing countries.
• CURE International: Operates a global network of pediatric hospitals and surgical programs in developing countries, with a significant orthopedic surgery focus. Comparable in mission scope, geographic reach, and emphasis on treating children with disabling musculoskeletal conditions.

Others

• American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Overseas Outreach: Professional society that runs humanitarian outreach programs in foot and ankle surgery, sharing surgeon faculty and educational mission models with Steps2Walk. Acts as an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/steps2walk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2BnFt4FjluP32NlFYoPqSQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Steps2Walk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/steps2walk
• Instagraminstagram.com/steps2walk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Steps2Walk