Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Foley.
Hi Michael, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Michael Foley was born in Atlanta and grew up in Buford Georgia. He started his career as a US Navy Hospital Corpsman serving the United States Marine Corps as a frontline medic in numerous units and affiliations within the US Navy & Marine Corps from 2013 to 2023. After 10 years in this role, he retired from military service and began working as a medic in an Atlanta Emergency Department. During the transition of healthcare roles and responsibilities from the military to the civilian sector, there was a major and ever present issue that kept presenting itself: odor! No one in his management hierarchy at the hospital had an effective or universal solution to solve the issue of clinical malodor. Michael then set out in 2020, shortly after COVID showed its head, on a mission of solving bad odors in the healthcare space. During this journey, he worked for numerous startups including sock companies, toy companies, and beyond to gain the business knowledge he would need to manage a startup company and accomplish his mission.
Along with his business endeavors of founding Nebuscent, a company focused on freshening the human experience through eliminating healthcare odors, Michael is also heavily involved in the tactical medicine world. He is a founding member of “Operation Helo” a non-profit that was formed in a grassroots effort to rescue the people trapped in the mountain towns in Western NC following the 1,500 years storm of Hurricane Helene. The storm ravaged WNC late 2024 dropping over 30 inches of rain in a mere 11 hour period and trapping thousands of people in the process. Operation Helo is credited with over 450 evacuations, and 2 million+ pounds of supplies dropped. When the roads were washed out, and the people needed a miracle to survive, hope and help came from the sky in the form of civilian helicopters, operators, and medics flying in at a moments notice to rescue the injured, deliver critical supplies and medications, and provide town sustainment. Operation Helo was born out of this unique situation and continues to serve American towns when disasters strike and lives are on the line.
After the experience in WNC and Hurricane Helene, Michael founded a production company, Year 8 Productions, with a few associates to capture the events of Helene in their newest documentary, Scars On The Mountain, which will premiere sometime in 2026 on major tv & film platform’s (www.scarsonthemountain.com). Year 8 has numerous projects coming down the tracks this year outside of Scars On The Mountain as well.
Michael is also a Special Operations Medic for the State of Georgia providing tactical medicine support in a number of areas ranging from Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) & Search and Rescue for numerous different agencies throughout the state.
Michael leads his organizations with a high emphasis on service above self, faith, and leading from the front. He resides on a piece of property in North Georgia with his wife Kendall and their 2 dogs. He enjoys the outdoors, traveling, and spending time with his friends.
If there is one quote to describe Michael: “A life of service, a good life indeed”.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Being an entrepreneur in any space comes with challenges from virtually every angle. Along with developing a state-of the-art dispenser and delivery system, Michael also had to develop a chemistry that goes in that system to eliminate the odors. This chemistry requirement was that it had have no masking odor, like what you commonly see in existing home odor mitigation products. That means no flower, bubble gum, cinnamon, or any other fragrance associated with it. From day 1 at Nebuscent, it was very clear that any product designed to serve the healthcare space could have no masking odor or fragrance whatsoever. So now imagine the process to create a substance with zero odor, that is designed to eliminate any existing odor. It was a lot to take on. When inventing a product in the healthcare space, the oversight from different committees and oversight boards can be very overwhelming. Everything from proving efficacy, safety, and ease of use for the healthcare workers we serve was all a lengthy process. Michael couldn’t have accomplished any of this without his development team at Slingshot Product Development Group, and his partner Dr. Aarian Afshari.
While the days have been long, and the work has been demanding, one thing Michael has learned throughout the entrepreneur and founder journey is that it is never about the good days and triumphs, it is all about the journey and the days that create more problems than solutions. That is where you find yourself and learn what you are truly made of.
“You can have tough days, and questions that seem virtually impossible to answer, but you should always have an unwavering belief in the destination you hope to one day arrive at.”
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nebuscent?
Nebuscent is a startup company focused on solving an issue as old as healthcare itself, odor. Through our one of a kind dispenser and chemistry we work to eliminate the odors at the source and when experienced by those in the affected area. Nebuscent works while the healthcare worker actively treats the patients they serve. Our clients have one dispenser in each patient room to provide mass relief in each care area. We freshen the human experience for all 3 sides of the patient care triangle: the patient, the employee, and the visitors.
Michael and his team are most proud of being a true “disrupter” in the healthcare space. Gone are the days of using coffee grounds around the treatment room or dumping peppermint oil to try and mask whatever odor the day is bringing you.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Michael’s wife Kendall and his family deserve a lot of credit. Never once have they faltered in their support and belief of Michael’s dreams at Nebuscent. Michael’s investor and friend also gets the credit for letting him raise the sails and chase the wind at every turn. Without his support none of this would be possible. Michael’s design and engineering team at Slingshot Product Development team also deserve credit for the literal years of sweat and hardwork that they have put into this company, Michaels dream, Michael’s father Mike Foley also deserves credit for working alongside Michael and being a major part in the birth of this company. Michaels partner and Nebuscent’s President and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Aarian Afshari also merit a huge thank you for always being a shoulder to lean on when days are long. His guidance, experience, and outlook is second to none.
Above all else, Michael gives credit to God for setting him on this path to serve others on what can be the worst day of their lives. Odor seems like a dismal issue when needing to receive treatment in a healthcare facility, but that small lack of embarrassment or discomfort from odors can go a lot farther than one may think during the patient care process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nebuscent.com/
- Instagram: @doc_foley
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-foley-019235205
