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Gladiator Lacrosse

Posted by Hyeraj1

· Monday, October 1st, 2018

· 6 Comments

When you were a teenager did you feel a lack of control over your circumstances? Often times when we are younger we put boundaries on our abilities to fix problems, but Rachel Zietz did not. Rachel started her own business at the age of 13, coming up with a solution to her problem: the lack of affordable and quality lacrosse practice equipment.

The one thing most people will note about this young entrepreneur is her age, Rachel is now 17 years old and has a professional business model and making money from her solution to a problem she had when she was 13. The thought process Rachel went through to create this idea is how entrepreneurs think every day. We see a problem and we think of all the different ways we can solve it, but she also found a problem that was effecting others as well. Rachel has also taken great strides pitching her business on multiple scales, including season 7 of the Shark Tank. Rachel has a great confidence in her business, which I believe is a big key to her success. Most young people have great ideas but lack the self-confidence to get over the obstacles and criticism they face along the way. Taking a business from the ground to production can be a rough course, but if you believe in your product you can make it to the end.

6 Comments

Categories : Athletics, Millennial Enrepreneuers, Shark Tank, Women Entrepreneurs, Youngest Entrepreneurs

Gymshark: One of the UK’s Fastest Growing companies… and the Founder is Only 24!

Posted by ethanraynaud1

· Sunday, September 16th, 2018

· 8 Comments

From their fashionable gym clothing to their progressive office environment, Gymshark is one of the UK’s fastest growing companies. Started by Ben Francis in 2012, Gymshark seeks to create gym apparel that is both functional and fashionable. Many millennials have probably heard of the company, considering their outstanding social media and internet presence. The majority of their marketing comes from Youtube Stars, famous athletes, and popular Instagram models, but, how did Gymshark get this big?

We can start with their founder, Ben Francis. Since a child, Ben was always pursuing the entrepreneurial dream. As a teenager, Ben was obsessed with making websites, and using the internet to generate passive income. His most successful site sold custom British licences plates, inspiring him to do more. After the iPhone’s release in 2007, Ben saw a market, creating 4 apps in the span of a few years, 2 of them being fitness apps. Then, in 2012, Ben and one of his friends decided to start another website, Gymshark. With the Dream of becoming a Titan in the fitness industry, Ben worked 70+ hours a week designing, sewing, and shipping his newest brand, Gymshark. At the beginning Gymshark only sold embroidered tank tops and t-shirts, but they new something wasn’t right. They saw a problem with the shirts the were ordering, the sleeves were to long or the seams weren’t tailored in a way that made the male physique look good for gym-goers. Solving this problem has made the company millions.

Gymsharks advertising and marketing venture started a bit unconventionally. As the product started to gain popularity, Ben decide to send his merchandise to popular YouTubers and bodybuilders, asking them to review it and wear it. Of course, they loved the product. Gymshark now markets entirely on celebrity endorsments, reaching out to up and coming Instagram models and YouTubers offering to “sponser” them (essentially asking them to wear their product in the pictures and videos they create).

Gymshark certainly has an inspiring story, taking the drive and innovation out of a man and turning it into a company that is forcing big brands like Nike and Adidas to re-think how they design their clothes.

8 Comments

Categories : Athletics, Business, Clothing, Fitness, Uncategorized

Stepping Up Her Game: The Story Behind Gladiator Lacrosse

Posted by mccaslinkf18

· Saturday, September 15th, 2018

· 2 Comments

Lots of 13 year old’s in the United States love playing sports, but very few create major changes their respective sport. Perhaps that’s because there’s only one Rachel Zietz, founder and CEO of Gladiator Lacrosse. Back in 2012, this young athlete found herself in a rather difficult position of wanting to improve her skills in lacrosse but lacking quality equipment to do so. The high quality equipment was far too expensive and the more reasonably priced equipment was shabby at best. With no way to improve her skills, Zietz began searching for a way to solve this problem.

The Zietz family can certainly be called an entrepreneurial family. Rachel’s father Sam is the CEO of Touchsuite, her mom Shelia is a cooperate attorney, and even her little brother Jorden is the founder and CEO of GameReef . Enrolled in an entrepreneurial program called YEA!, Rachel never expected to follow in her father’s footsteps and create a legitimate business. However, all that changed when she won the elevator pitch competition. She then ran full speed ahead with her new business plan: Gladiator Lacrosse.

Many people would think twice about investing in and contributing to a 13 year old girl’s company, but Rachel refused to let her age stop her from success. She wrote business plans, collaborated with professional sports designers and lacrosse players to create designs for her products, figured out ways to make high quality equipment at an affordable price, and began the first shipment process. By the time she completed the YEA! program, she was ready to go and armed with a 45 ft box of Gladiator Lacrosse goals and rebounders.

Since then, the business has continued to grow and Rachel became one of the most prominent teenage entrepreneurs in the world. Gladiator Lacrosse is a multi-million dollar business with distribution points both online and in major retail stores such as DICK’S Sporting Goods. It has garnered a lot of attention from business tycoons and professional athletes alike. Casey Powell, Rachel’s lacrosse idol, has partnered with her to create the “Casey Powell Signature Edition” line. The company has continued to produce more and more products with their founding goal constantly in mind: high quality equipment for an affordable price.

Rachel has also gained a lot of publicity and interest thanks to her game-changing business idea. She was recognized by TIME Magazine as one of the Most Influential Teens in 2016, in the company of people like Laurie Hernadez and former President Barack Obama’s two daughters. She’s appeared on season seven of ABC’s Shark Tank, was recognized on multiple occasions by Florida’s Governor Rick Scott in 2016, and even won the Governor’s Young Entrepreneur Award. She’s been featured in many publications, including the New York Times, USA Today, Forbes Magazine, TIME Magazine, and many more. Furthermore, her equipment earned the bid as the goal provider for the 2018 FIL’s Men’s World Lacrosse Championships.

Today, Rachel continues to produce new products that revolutionize the game of lacrosse. She wants players to have the opportunity to improve their skills with the best equipment possible. She is personally involved in the design and creation of her products, ensuring that they live up to her very high expectations. She continues to step up her game so that other athlete’s and young entrepreneurs can too.

You can hear more about Rachel’s story and Gladiator Lacrosse on her website http://www.gladiatorlacrosse.com/about-us/

See her new developments alongside other young entrepreneurs online at https://medium.com/startup-grind/50-millennial-founders-their-startups-to-watch-in-2018-63b4c82c8b78

2 Comments

Categories : Athletics, Business, Fitness

Me and My Golf

Posted by hanglitersr17

· Saturday, December 9th, 2017

· 5 Comments

As social media becomes more and more of a marketing tool for all kinds of companies, many smaller, niche companies generate most of their business from their social media accounts. Me and My Golf is a small company started by two young golf professionals, Piers Ward and Andy Proudman. The small business offers coaching videos for general advice and tips as well as personalized golf swing analysis. They have a strong presence on Instagram in the golf community and are well known by many of the PGA’s top golfers including Rory Mcilroy, DJ, Speith, Fowler, and many more. They have 130 thousand followers and have great ways of getting people involved including giveaways, free videos, and fun interactive content. While this company is still small, I believe that is where it should be. Golf is slowly declining and Me and My Golf is making it seem fun and less difficult than most believe it is. They are promoting a great game and making money doing so.

5 Comments

Categories : Athletics, Millennial Enrepreneuers

Jolt — A New and Innovative Concussion Prevention

Posted by kiskaea1

· Tuesday, September 26th, 2017

· 21 Comments

Ben Harvatine, a wrestler and a junior MIT, had no idea that he had just suffered a concussion during one fateful practice. Unfortunately, neither did the MIT training staff. Ben continued to practice and compete, trying to push through what he thought was general fatigue or dehydration. When his dizziness persisted, he sought further treatment and was diagnosed with a concussion. This late diagnosis put his wrestling career on hold for a time and precipitated multiple hospitalizations. If Ben could have been diagnosed earlier, his injuries would likely have been much less severe.

While recuperating, Ben began to brainstorm ideas for how this type of situation could be prevented in the future. He and a friend, Seth Berg, eventually designed Jolt, a sensor that could be clipped on to virtually any type of sports headgear (helmet, hat, headband, etc.). Jolt would monitor head trauma during any physical activity and vibrate to alert the wearer of significant injuries. It would also send data and alerts via Bluetooth to an app on a smartphone, tablet, or other device. Jolt has a range of over 200 yards and a battery life of up to two months. Additionally, the app can monitor an unlimited number of sensors at once; and, another huge feature is that a Jolt sensor only costs $99.

This would allow sports players, coaches, or parents to monitor the head impacts sustained by the players. With the information Jolt provides, coaches, parents, trainers, etc. can know when their players suffer serious hits and decide whether the players should keep playing or stop. Jolt would act as an important prevention system to catch concussions before they worsen from further trauma.

In true entrepreneurial fashion, Ben Harvatine and Seth Berg found a need from personal experience and then brainstormed to solve that need. Now, their inventiveness is aiding players and coaches in the fight against concussions. Jolt is keeping players playing and protecting them in the process.

Jolt website — http://www.joltsensor.com/

21 Comments

Categories : App, Athletics, Fitness, Medical, Medicine, Millennial Entrepreneurs, Technology

Inside voices? No, Outside Voices

Posted by Leona Bently

· Monday, November 7th, 2016

· 2 Comments

Usually a great idea starts small. When you think of the word “small” one of the things that comes to mind is childhood. Millennial Entrepreneur Tyler Haney reminds us all of our mother’s words to use “inside voices” in her clever, hip, and trendy line Outdoor Voices. Her clever company is based off the idea that fitness should be freed from the competitive world and thus make exercise a lifestyle. With that key idea in mind she has come up with a spunky and trendy line of great athleisure and athletic wear. All of her designs are simplistic and sleep thus giving the consumer the freedom to mix and match from any of her selections. What’s so incredible about Haney and her business though is how she brought Outdoor Voices into the highly competitive market of athletic wear. She started the idea at the Parsons School of Design, continued on to the Silicon Valley, and after pitching some 70 times landed a $7 million deal to start the business. However, it wasn’t the money that made Outdoor Voices successful, it was Haney’s ambition and smart marketing tactics that truly made her sight stand out. She implemented the idea of using celebrity fans and icons such as Lenah Dunham and Gwyneth Paltrow to help expand the knowledge and desire of her specific brand. Haney’s business is now a big and booming enterprise with a future as bright as the sun.

2 Comments

Categories : Apparel/Accessories, Athletics, Beauty, Fashion, Fitness, Millennial Entrepreneurs, Uncategorized

Grady’s Pitching School

Posted by Gabe Friel

· Wednesday, October 19th, 2016

· 1 Comment

Mike Grady’s Pitching School
I am going to talk about

Who Is Mike Grady
What is Mike Grady’s Pitching School
How is he a successful millennial entrepreneur

Mike Grady is a man who has been involved in baseball his whole life, playing for North Canton Hoover High School and Malone University as well as coaching at Malone with many notable honor and awards for his career as a player and coach. In his love for the sport he decided to share his years of experience with others and has had much success doing it to which you can see for yourself if you visit the link http://www.gradyspitchingschool.com/ . With the success he has here, he decided to teach to others as well. He taught business classes in Massillon, but now teaches in his home town of North Canton at Hoover High School. There he is head of the business department and teaches a majority of the classes. Here he also teaches a senior level class called Business and Entrepreneurship, in this Junior Achievement class he has coached 3 teams to the National Student Leadership Summit in only 2 years. He still teaches at Hoover as well as maintaining his pitching school.

Grady’s Pitching School is a place where young players go to fine tune their baseball game. He focuses on pitchers, but has taken others as well. Here he has developed kids to reach their potential, he has coached many kids who have had very successful careers and kids throwing 90 mph fastballs at the age of 17 and 18. His business is run and maintained by him and him alone.

I believe he is a successful entrepreneur because there are plenty of trainers in the North East Ohio region and in the Stark County area, but he still has proven time and time again that his service is the best choice for your money. He also proves his success by the way he mentors his kids and customers on the diamond and in the classroom with his students showing much success as well during and after his classes.

1 Comment

Categories : Athletics, Education, Millennial Entrepreneurs

Beau Kittredge: A hand in everything

Posted by Zach

· Friday, October 7th, 2016

· No Comments

Beau Kittredge is my personal role model. He plays professional Ultimate Frisbee for the Dallas Roughnecks, but is also his own boss in all his business ventures, and his work as an entrepreneur is very inspiring. Beau says that it is his desire to create and be creative is his driving factor.

He started his own company in 2010 called Beau’s Books. He both wrote and illustrated three children’s books, known for being wildly imaginative but also with a large teaching element. His books are true children’s books but readers, especially parents, have found that they can relate to the stories and the lessons taught by Beau’s stories.

His next entrepreneurship adventure is his current project, which is developing his own video game, called Boredom Bugs. Beau wanted to make a new type of puzzle game by combining the strategy of a tower defense game and the skill of a mini game. In 2015, he assembled a team and started a Kickstarter to help fund the development of Boredom Bugs. Although the Kickstarter was unsuccessful he continues work on it and has committed himself fully to the game.

Currently, aside from frisbee and video game development Beau is involved in E.R.I.C, which stands for Early Recognition Is Critical, a organization that teaches healthy living and recognition of cancer symptoms. E.R.I.C has partnered with Beau to provide Ultimate Frisbee clinics, places where kids who have never heard about Ultimate can learn the game as well as learning how to be healthy and live a good life.

I wear Beau Kittredge’s number in respect for his creativity, his desire to never give up on his dreams and his ultimate dream of teaching health and the game of Ultimate Frisbee.

***

Product Review: Beau’s Books

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2008190914/jack-nimble-attack-of-the-boredom-bugs

Announcing the E.R.I.C. Speak Up Tour

No Comments

Categories : Athletics

Gladiator Lacrosse: Rachel Zietz

Posted by Zach

· Monday, September 26th, 2016

· 3 Comments

In 2013, at the age of only 13 years old, Rachel Zietz, a varsity high school lacrosse player, discovered the market for quality, durable lacrosse equipment for a less expensive price. After talking to investors she was given $2,700 to start her company. Her line of products is limited to rebounders and practice goals, in other words, she does not sell any personal equipment (pads, sticks, helmets, gloves, etc.). However, she has been very successful.

Her first year she sold $200,000 worth of equipment, and two years later Gladiator Lacrosse had over $1 million in revenue. She has been honored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 for being a finalist for their Entrepreneur Award.

Rachel Zietz saw a problem: over-expensive, poor quality practice lacrosse equipment, and she fixed it, redesigning the netting and frames, to ensure durability. Her idea was simple and played into her area of expertise and passion, and fixed something which was an annoyance to many people, which fits perfectly with the entrepreneurship way.
She was young when she started her company, showing that age has no ceiling, (something that her parents who are also entrepreneurs in Florida, have been sure to impress upon her).

Personally, this is a very encouraging story for myself, just showing how youth is not a hindrance to anything, and that combining entrepreneurship and personal passions can have amazing outcomes.

***

Home

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/27/8-young-entrepreneurs-making-serious.html?slide=7

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/print-edition/2015/02/20/how-14-year-old-rachel-zietz-built-a-1-million.html

3 Comments

Categories : Athletics, Uncategorized

Energy-Generating Soccer Ball

Posted by Josh Kirk

· Sunday, September 25th, 2016

· 3 Comments

Soccer, known better throughout the world as football, is played more than any other sport. With this in mind, young entrepreneur Jessica Matthews invented a new kind of soccer ball. A ball that would revolutionize life for many children around the world. Her Invention combined the love of soccer and the need for electricity. This product allows children to play soccer while charging the ball so it can be used as an energy source later. Matthews said that, “If we just wanted to give people power, we’d just give them solar panels. The purpose is reaching people in a way that’s enjoyable and fun and exciting.” These soccer balls are priced at $99 which is a steep price, however, Matthews hope that people will see the benefit of this product and invest in them. She also hopes people will buy these balls and send them to other countries as a method of supporting impoverished kids. More information and pictures can be found at https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2013/11/21/the-soccer-ball-that-helps-kids-in-underdeveloped-areas-finish-homework/

3 Comments

Categories : Athletics