Building Trails, Prioritizing Safety: Interview with Twiceme CEO on the Future of Protective Gear
Trail building is an inherently rugged and often remote endeavor, where safety concerns are as critical as the trails themselves. While the physical demands and environmental challenges are well understood, the unpredictable nature of accidents remains a persistent risk.
Enter Twiceme, a company pioneering smart safety technology that enhances emergency response and preparedness.
By integrating near-field communication (NFC) technology directly into personal protective equipment (PPE), Twiceme transforms helmets into essential safety tools—allowing instant access to vital medical information, geolocation tracking, and emergency alerts.
In this interview, CEO Christian Connolly discusses how Twiceme’s technology is helping trail builders stay safer, reduce response times in critical situations, and foster a culture where safety is as much a priority as the trails themselves.
Sean: Tell me about your background and your role?
Christian: I’m from Sweden and live in Stockholm, where I built my business career in technology. After attending Copenhagen Business School, I joined Twiceme as CEO because I felt the role offered me an opportunity to impact the safety of people at work and outdoors. That inspired me. Now, over five years into my role as CEO, I lead Twiceme in developing practical solutions that enhance safety for professionals and outdoor enthusiasts, including trail builders.
Today, we’ve established ourselves as pioneers in safety advancement, earning the confidence of everyone from first responders to outdoor adventurers to construction pros. Through strategic collaborations with leading PPE manufacturers and input from safety experts, we’ve successfully integrated our platform across multiple sectors, including skiing, cycling, construction, and trail building.
Our growth reflects a deep understanding of user needs and industry demands, allowing us to develop solutions that serve diverse communities.
Sean: Can you explain Twiceme technology and how it works in a typical trail building environment?
Christian: Twiceme’s smart safety technology consists of next-generation near-field communication (NFC) chips built directly into PPE and accessible through a smartphone app. Twiceme is included in both bike helmets and construction helmets. If a trail-building crew is out in a rugged area somewhere and someone gets injured while wearing a Twiceme helmet, crew members use their smartphone to interact with the PPE to access critical medical information about the person quickly.
Additionally, if they have cell coverage, they can immediately alert other team members or rescuers about an incident, relaying the exact location and providing information about the person. That information may include medical information, such as allergies or blood type, to aid responders.
Twiceme accelerates response times, which can shorten rescue times if an accident occurs on remote trails.
Sean: How did you develop the idea behind Twiceme?
Christian: Our founders were ex-military professionals who developed Twiceme Technology after difficult experiences in the field. They had repeated scenarios during missions where they felt helpless supporting their colleagues when accidents occurred. In their pursuit of finding a solution, they tested various technologies and eventually created Twiceme to turn bystanders into helpers. The “ice” in the name Twiceme stands for “in case of emergency.”
Once the technology and concept were available, we identified a similar safety and response gap for outdoor sports like bicycling and skiing and on the job for construction and other industrial settings. We wanted to empower individuals with accessible safety tools and enable first responders to act faster. The NFC technology is easy to integrate into safety gear, and we have more and more equipment manufacturers adding Twiceme technology every year.
Sean: How does your technology foster a safety culture within the trail-building community?
Christian: Trail building, like other construction projects, has inherent risks. The fact that most trail building occurs in remote areas only increases the risks and reinforces the importance of adopting a safety culture.
Twiceme promotes a safety-first mindset by making vital medical and contact information accessible. It encourages trail builder teams to prioritize safety preparedness, knowing that, in case of an accident, they can act and provide responders with access to critical information as well as the exact location and the local emergency number.
By integrating our technology into their everyday gear, we’re helping crews stay better prepared while maintaining their focus on the task at hand. STUDSON is one of our vendors who’s put Twiceme to work on the trails and heard great feedback from the community.
Sean: Trail building often takes place in remote areas without reliable cell service. How does your technology address that?
Christian: Twiceme operates independently of cell service, requiring only a smartphone with NFC capabilities and the Twiceme app. In the case of an incident in a remote area, all vital information will still be available as it’s locally stored in the NFC tag.
Additionally, teams can set an automatic timer that alerts crew members and first responders if an individual or team member doesn’t return at a designated time. Users mark an area on the map and set a return timer. If the person or team is not back at the original location at the set time, an alert with the last known position will go out to the chosen emergency contact. This enables rescue with minimal delay.
While rescue alerts only work with cell coverage, if someone on a trail building crew becomes injured, members can stay onsite with the injured colleague while others can find an area with cell coverage to alert first responders to an accident.
Sean: Does everyone on a trail building team need Twiceme for it to work?
Christian: Ideally, yes. Communication is critical to adopting a safety culture in a trail build. Each team member should have gear with Twiceme, and leading PPE manufacturers like STUDSON, ZERO, and LIFT Safety offer this gear today. Once workers have a helmet with Twiceme, they must add their medical and contact information to the Twiceme NFC chip on the helmet and install the Twiceme mobile app on their smartphones. Only then can all crew members truly be prepared.
If an accident occurs, trail buiding team members can gain fast access to information for anyone needing help. If a team member does not have Twiceme gear, at a minimum, they should download the app to their smartphone to access information from their colleagues’ gear during an emergency. This is especially important for teams working in areas without cellular coverage. You don’t need cell coverage to interact with the helmets as long as the app is installed, but if you don’t have the app, you need to rely on your team members to come through.
As more people adopt Twiceme and have access to the equipment with Twiceme technology, the more prepared teams will be during emergencies.
Sean: How can smaller or volunteer-based trail building organizations benefit from Twiceme technology without breaking budgets?
Christian: Helmets with Twiceme technology sell for only a few more dollars than standard model helmets. The safety benefits they deliver, however, can make all the difference when worst-case accidents occur.
The NFC technology integrated into Twiceme helmets offers advanced safety for everyone at a low cost. Providing helmets with this technology sends a clear message to professional teams or volunteers that safety is nonnegotiable and comes first on the trail.
Sean: What innovations for Twiceme do you see on the horizon, and how might they impact the trail buildingcommunity?
Christian: Twiceme is a software company at its core, and because of that, we’re constantly able to add more capabilities. For instance, trail builders can store completed waiver forms or other necessary documentation directly on their PPE in addition to medical and personal contact information. This is helpful for trail builder team leaders to verify workers have their documentation.
Twiceme will only get smarter and provide more value to teams over time. This will further simplify safety efforts and make it easier for trail builders to work confidently, knowing they’re supported by technology that puts their safety first. Additionally, in the future, we’ll add multiple new features that will benefit large organizations that distribute PPE to employees.
Conclusion
As trail building continues to evolve, so too must the tools and technologies that support those working in the field.Twiceme’s innovative approach to safety—leveraging NFC technology to provide instant medical information and emergency connectivity—represents a game-changing advancement for trail builders, whether professionals or volunteers. By making safety more accessible, integrated, and proactive, Twiceme fosters a work environment where preparedness is second nature.
As the company continues to refine its technology and expand its capabilities, the future of trail building looks not only more efficient but also significantly safer. For those shaping the landscapes we ride, hike, and explore, Twiceme is ensuring they have the protection they need when it matters most.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
