Carson Kropfl is an inventor, skater, and surfer from San Clemente, California. Carson first came up with his idea when he started middle school. He loved skateboarding, but he found that he didn’t have a skateboard that fit in his locker. He decided to make his own skateboards that he later called Locker Boards. Locker Boards are hand-made and reshaped from recycled skateboard decks at 16 inches long. At this length, they easily fit into backpacks and lockers. Locker Boards are also good for the planet. The rectangular shape of the board allows you to still be able to do tricks on it, like a normal skateboard, despite the smaller size. In his first 9 months of running the company, Carson made $10,000 in revenue, selling online and promoting his product through social media.

Carson appeared on Shark Tank in 2017 when he was just 11 years old. He came in seeking $60,000 for a 15% stake in his company. He received offers from Mark Cuban, Robert Herjavec, and Richard Branson. He took Richard Branson’s offer of $65,000 for 20% of his company with the goal of growing his company to be known across the country. In February of 2020, Carson signed a licensing deal with a major toy company called Wham-O. Locker Board now has a net worth of $325,000, and Carson is looking to sell the company so he can focus on his schooling.

When Carson was asked on Shark Tank where he wants to be in 5, 10, and 20 years, Carson simply said “everywhere.” He seems to have achieved that goal and is now looking forward to the next stage of his life and all that is ahead of him.

– Kaitlyn Kuscevic