There are many dads out there who are making a positive impact in the fight against diabetes. We call them ‘diabetes dads’ or ‘d-dads’. Here are a few d-dads:

• Howard Look founded Tidepool, a nonprofit organization that creates open-source software to assist people with diabetes. He was motivated to start the organization after his child was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and has since become a prominent advocate for better diabetes management tools and improved access to diabetes data.
• Ed Damiano is a biomedical engineer and father of a child with T1D. He is the co-founder and CEO of Beta Bionics, a company that is developing an artificial pancreas system to improve diabetes management for people with T1D.
• John Costik, a software engineer, developed software to enable access and transfer of CGM data to cloud computing infrastructure, addressing the challenge of parents not being able to access the data when their child was at school. He created a code to hack and upload glucose values to the cloud, which he shared on Twitter and later made available through Nightscout's website and a private Facebook group called "CGM in the Cloud". This led to his significant contribution to the creation of the Nightscout Project, a DIY mobile technology system that was released in 2014 as open-source software.
• Tom Karlya is a leading diabetes advocate, and the father of two children with T1D. He holds the position of Vice President of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation and operates DiabetesDad, a well-known website that offers support and resources for families impacted by diabetes. Tom is also a highly sought-after speaker and writer, leveraging his personal experience and knowledge to boost awareness and enhance the quality of life for individuals with diabetes.
• Bryan Mazlish, the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Bigfoot Biomedical, created algorithms for anticipating glucose levels and automating insulin delivery. He utilized a proof-of-concept device to automate insulin delivery for his wife and son, who both have T1D. This was the first instance of adaptive insulin delivery algorithms successfully operating in pediatric and adult settings for an extended period.
• Doug Melton, a distinguished stem cell researcher and father of two children with T1D, co-founded Semma Therapeutics. This organization is focused on creating a stem cell-based therapy for diabetes. Melton's stem cell research has the potential to revolutionize diabetes treatment by allowing the production of insulin-producing cells, which could be transplanted into people with diabetes.
• Pete Schwamb, a software engineer and diabetes advocate, is the inventor of the Riley Link, a small open-source device that allows communication between a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and an insulin pump. He created the RileyLink translator device to access his daughter's insulin pump data and co-developed the DIYAPS version "loop" with Nathan Racklyeft. A significant figure in the DIY diabetes community, Schwamb has played a crucial role in developing novel technologies to enhance diabetes management.

These dads (and many more) are making a difference in the lives of people with diabetes and their families. They are using their personal experiences and expertise to advocate for better treatments, more funding for research, and increased awareness about diabetes.