PROSTHETIC COVERS WITH MEANING ATTACHED
AT ALLELES, WE DELIVER MEDICAL DEVICES THAT DO MORE THAN JUST FIT AND FUNCTION: THEY MATTER. OUR DESIGNS ARE CUSTOMIZED FOR YOUR BODY, YOUR STORY, AND YOUR STYLE.
ALLELES is a manufacturer of prosthetic covers, the brainchild of McCauley Wanner and Ryan Palibroda. A process-oriented industrial designer and an architect, respectively, they’re on a mission to make functional things beautiful in any product realm or environment.
After completing their degrees at the University of Calgary, Wanner and Palibroda decided to take on the medical device industry because, although they’re necessities, products in this category were not being designed with individual identity in mind.
Prosthetic covers deserve just as much design intention as eyeglasses and bicycle helmets do. More had to be done to shift mainstream perceptions of what disability looks like. In 2013, ALLELES was born to do just that.
ALLELES manufacturers medical devices that matter. Not only are the fit and function of its proprietary designs exact, but each one is customized by the individual for a true integration of performance and personal statement. ALLELES’ covers are handcrafted to order within the walls of its studio in Vancouver, BC, making it possible to offer a huge variety of choice and exceptional customer service. Customization and buying are simple – choose yours today.
meet our team
McCAULEY WANNER
President / Co-Founder
McCauley co-founded the ALLELES Design Studio in the fall of 2013. Prior to founding ALLELES McCauley graduated with her Masters of Industrial Design from the University of Calgary in 2011. Her thesis project titled, “Empowering by Revealing: A Study in the Hybridity of Fashion & Prosthetics” was an examination of fashion’s role in self identity and how it could be used to add more soul to medical products. After exploring various products and talking to users of these devices, she decided to focus on the prosthetic industry and come up with a fashion forward way for amputees to express themselves through their prosthesis.
After graduating, McCauley worked in the fashion industry as a graphic designer as well as a user experience designer for an advertising agency. During this time, she and Ryan continued to discuss how to turn her research from an art project to a viable option for people. Growing up with family businesses taught McCauley to be extremely resourceful, pragmatic and possess a sense of responsibility that it was up to them to bring this idea to life.
Ryan Palibroda
Design Director / Co-Founder
Ryan Palibroda co-founded the ALLELES Design Studio in the fall of 2013. Prior to founding ALLELES, Ryan graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with Distinction and received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in 2003. He then exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around Western Canada, and was signed by the Kensington Gallery of Fine Art in Calgary. In 2007 Ryan began his Masters of Architecture at the University of Calgary, and worked as an architect on the design team for the CHUM super hospital in Montreal.
During the time McCauley was working on her thesis, Ryan was an architecture student in the same faculty and helped provide insight throughout the project. Upon graduating the two moved to Montreal and they continued to discuss how to turn her research from an art project to a viable option for people. With a background in digital fabrication and parametric design, Ryan then decided that his skills were better suited for the scale of product design and decided to join forces with his real life partner, McCauley.
Chelsea Bryson
Business Process Manager
Chelsea graduated UVIC with a Bachelor of Arts, focusing mostly on Greek Art & Architecture. As someone who loves exploring new and interesting things, she’s had varied experience in areas such as serving & bartending, the specialty coffee industry, coding, event organizing, accounting firms, and is even a WBC certified wedding planner. Chelsea has worked for ALLELES since 2019, and when she’s not helping out at the Studio, she’s probably out walking with her dog Bo.
She also currently holds the top position of the Galaga leaderboard at the studio.
Nick E.W. YORK
Digital Technician
Nick holds Associates degrees in both Audio Engineering and Music Theory from the California State University in Sacramento, and is an avid musician. With notable tangents in both Graphic Design & specialty coffee – he certainly has an eye (and ear) for details.
When not at work he is usually practicing jazz guitar, cello, or pushing himself slowly up silly hills on a bicycle.
Maggie PoUliot
Client Relations
Maggie holds a Bachelor of Laws from Laval University in Quebec, as well as a Masters in International & Intercultural Communication from Royal Roads University. She may be the youngest on the team, but she is quickly carving her own path here at ALLELES!
When Maggie isn’t at work dancing around and coming up with her own expressions, you can find her enjoying the outdoors. A French Canadian with a sense of adventure, she loves climbing hills, both on bike and by foot! At the end of the day though, she’ll always be happy to be home snuggling her cat, Fitzgerald.