Meet Pat LeBlanc
An Adventurer, Explorer and Afari fan

I would like you to meet Pat LeBlanc. He earned both his undergraduate degree and his Doctor in Veterinary Medicine degree from Michigan State University, the whole time participating as a member of the varsity cheerleading team. After obtaining another advanced degree in Veterinary Anesthesiology from the University of Wisconsin, he returned to MSU for another 9 years as a professor of anesthesia and then as a director of its veterinarian teaching hospital. Pat is a Spartan through and through.

Pat’s career in veterinary medicine and academia was already noteworthy when he took a major turn in his career by assuming the presidency and then chairmanship of his family’s electronics product company, EBW Electronics in Holland, Michigan.

Pat poured himself into his new career in the same way he had as a veterinarian and professor. In 2015, EBW was named Michigan Small Business of the Year for the Great Lakes region and he was invited to the White House where he met members of President Barack Obama’s cabinet. The following year, Pat was named Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in his region.

Pat is an explorer, and his life is an adventure. He has found success as a college professor, a veterinary anesthesiologist, and head of a successful high volume electronics manufacturing firm, but he would tell you “Basically, I’m a life cheerleader.”

In 2019, Pat suffered a stroke while vacationing in rural northern Michigan, and a new phase of his life began. Physically, Pat’s engagement with life has changed, but mentally and emotionally he remains the same force of personality and energy.

Finding time in Pat’s busy schedule isn’t easy. From swimming to art classes, and walks with his Afari, Pat is fully engaged in life. I meet with him from time to time and our talks range from product improvement and accessory ideas for the Afari, to the new hobbies he is experimenting with, to helpful advice on how to grow Mobella.

During a recent conversation, we reflected on a simple truth he discovered in this latest of his life’s transitions. That truth is that it isn’t just about physicality. It is the way our physicality influences our self-identity, shapes our sense of purpose, and feeds into our sense of belonging. Regardless of a change in our physical abilities, our emotional need to project our individual identities persists unchanged.

Like Pat, the Afari is an adventurer that is at home off the beaten path, and it reflects his unique identity in its ability to take on new challenges and open new opportunities. But it isn’t just about the Afari’s functionality, it’s also that the Afari is beautiful and cool.

It doesn’t matter how we got to the place where we could use a bit of added balance and support to navigate our world. Like Pat, we insist that our lives continue to be an adventure, and that the things we own and use reflect the spirit of who we are through their uniqueness, style, and beauty. Same as always. Mobella’s mission is to provide those beautifully designed products that people will love to own and use, and the Afari is our opening bid.

Pat LeBlanc’s spirit is the spirit of Mobella, and we are proud to have him as an Afari owner. I asked him what he would like me to pass along to readers of this blog and he said “Just tell them I love this Afari. This product is simply amazing!” Thank you, Pat. We’re thrilled that you love it, and…

Go Green! (Go White!)