Lulu Strong Foundation Champions Technological Advancement for Prosthetics

In a world where resilience is often demanded but rarely celebrated, the newly launched Lulu Strong Foundation is turning personal tragedy into powerful transformation. In June 2024, during a mother-daughter trip at Seacrest Beach, Florida, 15-year-old Lulu Gribbin was attacked by a bull shark. She lost her left hand and her right leg above the knee as well as two-thirds of her blood, and had to be airlifted for emergency surgery. Upon waking up from surgery, Lulu’s first words were: “I made it.” Returning to her hometown of Mountain Brook, Alabama after 77 days spent in hospitals, she was greeted by cheering crowds and overwhelming support from her community. She also grew a social media following of over 250K, inspiring her and her family to harness that attention for the betterment of other amputees. Overwhelming interest in her story empowered Lulu to launch her foundation, drawing from her journey and her vision of improving advanced prosthetics and therapeutic solutions for all amputees.

In partnership with creative agency Trade School, the LuLu Strong Foundation is debuting a brand identity and website to support its mission: advancing prosthetic technologies and innovative therapies so amputees everywhere can transcend limitations, break barriers, and feel more whole.

Founded after the life-altering shark attack, Lulu Strong was born from lived experience — and a realization that the path to recovery is often limited not by will, but by outdated tools and limited resources. Lulu’s struggle shed light on the striking and urgent need for greater advancements in prosthetic technology, in addition to better solutions to manage pain and support adjustment. Lulu Strong was founded with a determination to close these gaps by driving innovation. The foundation focuses on accelerating progress in and affordability of AI-powered prosthetics, VR therapy, and other emerging technologies that ease pain and restore mobility.

“I'm so grateful to the Trade School team for their work helping to bring the Lulu Strong Foundation from idea to reality," said Lulu Gribbin. "They captured the heart of my story and our mission, making sure every amputee has access to the innovations that can help them not just survive, but thrive. I am thankful for their partnership and ongoing support, and hope that together we can spark real change in prosthetics and therapies.”

“Lulu Strong isn’t just a foundation, it’s a powerful cause with a heart and soul,” said Brandon Murphy, head of strategy at Trade School. “We knew the brand had to reflect Lulu’s remarkable courage while clearly articulating the foundation’s differentiated mission: driving innovation in prosthetics, not just expanding access.”

The creative team at Trade School approached this campaign as a personal and collaborative brand-building effort, capturing the authenticity and hope of the foundation’s mission — balancing optimism, youthfulness, and transformation. The work aims to articulate the foundation’s differentiated focus: advancing prosthetic technologies and therapeutic innovations.

Unlike a traditional campaign, this foundational brand and digital work will live on as the cornerstone of the Lulu Strong Foundation’s communications and outreach. Developed collaboratively and delivered pro bono with the goal of advancing a greater cause, the initiative is deeply rooted in Lulu’s story and reflects her incredible resilience, as well as the larger ambition to spark systemic change in prosthetic innovation.

The digital-first identity centers around a website that acts as the campaign’s hero medium. Through it, users encounter a brand built from the ground up with passion and care. The work includes a complete brand positioning framework, logo, color palette, visual system, and two unique web page concepts — all designed to connect with donors, research partners, and the amputee community alike. As the base of the foundation’s identity and digital presence, the campaign lays the groundwork for everything to come.

As the team continues to grow awareness and support, the new brand is built to inspire belief, ignite donations, and build lasting partnerships that will help drive real, tangible change.

For information on how Lulu Strong will achieve these goals and to find out how you can help, visit lulustrong.com and follow along on Instagram.