Carson Kropfl founded Locker Boards in 2016 back at the age of 11. He had always had the same problem when it came to skateboards. They were too big to take into school because he couldn’t fit them in his locker and couldn’t find a good spot to put it before the bell rang. He took things into his own hands and created the Locker Board, a non-folding, sustainable skateboard that can fit inside a backpack and locker. I can appreciate his design efforts that went into making the final product.

In his initial years, Carson designed and built every board himself in his backyard. He knew that this wouldn’t be able to continue if his business scaled. In 2017 he was able to get a slot on the well know show Shark Tank. His pitch got the attention of Sir Richard Branson, the guest “shark” at the time. Carson ended up accepting $65,000 in return for 20% stake in his company. Branson said that the reason he invested in the 7th grader was because he reminded him of himself. The show did more for his company than just striking a deal, as it skyrocketed publicity from all the views it received.

In the early months of 2020, Carson Landed a licensing deal with Wham-O, a large toy company based in Carson, California. He was ecstatic to agree to a deal with such a prominent company.

I was impressed by his poise and composure that he displayed on the Shark Tank episode. Being that young and getting that kind of opportunity was amazing and he was able to take full advantage of it. Carson is very passionate about his company and isn’t someone who would settle for a mediocre product. I’m sure he has been an inspiration to many young entrepreneurs out there.