I thought, 'What's more valuable than the family dog?' That question became a company with nearly $100M in sales.

Ken Ehrman created the Halo collar. Courtesy of Ken Ehrman Ken Ehrman created a GPS dog fence after his niece's dog was killed. He uses the product daily with his own dog, Reese's. He holds more than 40 patents, but says this one has been the most impactful. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ken Ehrman , co-founder and CEO of Halo Collar . It has been edited for length and clarity . Back in 2017, my niece's dog, Ruby, escaped from their yard and was hit by a car. My niece was only 11, and this was her first experience with death. She had just rescued Ruby the year before, and the dog had become a huge part of the family. We were all hysterical.