What started out with a $194,000 crowdfunding campaign in October 2021 is now Slate Dental Inc., a Spokane health business with annual sales in the seven figures.

J. Brynn Snyder and her husband, Dr. Danny Snyder, invented the Slate Flosser, a three-in-one dental device that’s been featured nationally by multiple companies and publications, including Goop, Allure Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, Yahoo! Finance, Buzzfeed, and others. 

The Snyders, parents to five children, run Slate Dental Inc. out of a warehouse in downtown Spokane. She says she hopes increasing the presence of businesses in downtown will help make it a safer and more vibrant part of the city. 

Education: Bachelor’s degree in industrial design, Brigham Young University.

Do you have a favorite quote/motto? My dad used to quote Abraham Lincoln, but he changed it a little bit, and I really like it. When I do good, I feel good, and when I do bad, I feel bad, and I have lived long enough that I know that I want to feel good. 

What's the best piece of advice you've received? The best piece of advice I've received was simply to "take the money." At one point, I was uncertain about whether to take out a loan for our company. Another entrepreneur advised me to go ahead and secure the funding, explaining that even great companies can fail if they run out of money. 

What's a fact about you that most people would be surprised to learn? A fact about me that might surprise most people is that I am dyslexic, yet I was able to graduate with honors despite the challenges that came with it.