THE GAP
In a crisis, market structures collapse instantly. During 2020, prices spiked 2000%, counterfeit equipment flooded the market, and essential workers were forced to reuse single-use masks for weeks. Waiting for factories to ramp up during an active outbreak is a fatal strategy.
The next crisis may come from nature, a lab accident, or deliberate action. Advances in biotechnology make novel threats more likely, and the window to respond is shrinking.
A 2026 RAND Corporation study estimates that up to 52 million on-site workers in critical sectors would need respiratory protection during a pandemic.
No company can justify holding equipment for an emergency that may never come. The reserve has to be built by a nonprofit organization whose only interest is the public's protection. That is Aegis.
READINESS
We build the entire pipeline so protection is already in motion when the signal is given.
1
Procuring certified facepieces and filters through competitive RFPs at fair pre-crisis prices.
2
Stockpiles sit inside working commercial distribution networks, with recipients and addresses loaded in advance. When the call comes, the order is already in the system
3
Essential workers first, prioritized by occupational exposure risk and economic impact using a RAND Corporation framework. Nobody pays.
WHO WE ARE
The Aegis Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit led by Tripp Amdur, a 37-year veteran of global medical supply management. Joined by industry colleagues who supplied essential institutions through the 2020 crisis, and watched the market fail the people who needed it most. Our volunteer-led team operates to build the public reserve system that commercial markets cannot sustain.
Aegis is in a Discovery and Validation phase funded by Coefficient Giving. We are currently qualifying manufacturers, finalizing specifications, and planning warehousing and distribution. Our plan calls for an initial purchase of 3.4 million respirators for the highest-priority essential workers. Subsequent phases will expand coverage to all on-site workers across critical sectors — approximately 52 million people — with respirators distributed in waves based on exposure risk and criticality.
We operate under a strict conflict-of-interest policy. No officer, director, or adviser holds any financial interest in any prospective manufacturer, vendor, or logistics partner.
Stockpiles will never be sold, rented, or leased. When needed, every unit will be distributed 100% free of charge.
The Aegis Initiative, NFP, doing business as The Aegis Project. An Illinois not-for-profit corporation. A tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
©2026 The Aegis Initiative, NFP