Rebuilding Life, Movement, and Integrity — One Decision at a Time
I’m Arthur Toole, a U.S. Army Veteran and Founder of MegRelief. Building responsible, plant-based solutions rooted in lived experience. I
I didn’t set out to build a pain-relief brand. I set out to get my life back after pain quietly took more from me than I realized.
This site exists to explain why MegRelief exists — not to sell it.
as featured in
The Turning Point
In May 2011, at 33 years old, I landed wrong during a basketball game. What felt like a routine tweak became six months of knee pain that did not go away.
I went to doctors. I went to physical therapy. I tried over-the-counter medications. I tried prescriptions. Nothing worked.
I couldn’t play basketball. I couldn’t swim. I couldn’t lift. I couldn’t jog. I couldn’t play with my kids. Even walking came with a limp.
What frustrated me most wasn’t the pain — it was that I couldn’t fix it.
Months later, while traveling in Grenada, I experienced relief in a way I did not expect — and could not ignore. That moment eventually became a responsibility.
What I Care About
Pain is personal. Health is serious. Trust is fragile.
I believe in integrity over hype, responsibility over shortcuts, and long-term outcomes over quick attention.
After winning a pitch competition that never paid what was promised, I built the Veteran Shark Tank competition to ensure veteran business owners actually received what they were awarded. For five consecutive years, I secured funding through nonprofit partners, worked with community colleges, and supported founders beyond prize money.
Responsibility over shortcuts means doing things properly — even when it takes longer. I turned down the security of a safe job to commit to building MegRelief responsibly. Instead of trying to force attention through aggressive advertising, I chose the harder path: meeting people, listening, and putting the product in their hands so trust could be earned the right way.
Today, I serve as Director of Maryland’s MBOC program under the SSBCI initiative, helping Maryland-based business owners access technical assistance to strengthen operations, increase revenue, hire employees, and prepare for funding.
In recognition of community impact across Maryland — including work supporting veteran entrepreneurs and building MegRelief — I received a Governor’s Citation from Governor Wes Moore.
My family and I also founded the SIFT Foundation in 2018, which funds an annual scholarship for students from underserved communities pursuing college education.
Quiet
Credibility
I served 11 years in the United States Army — seven in Military Intelligence and four and a half in the Infantry. My final role was Captain in the Infantry, serving as Executive Officer and briefly as Company Commander.
Pain is personal.
Trust is earned.
I build with that in mind.