Chris McKleroy '10
Position: Head of Design, Deep Sentinel
Industry: Consumer Electronics
Lesson Learned: To create something that is genuinely new, you have to start again, and with great intent, disconnect from the past.
My two passions are outdoor action sports and consumer electronics, and Boombotix is a brand centered at the intersection of both. Boombotix was founded on the creation of an ultraportable speaker designed as an alternative to headphones. The Boombot was conceived by combining a Japanese vinyl toy, off-the-shelf speaker internals, and a walkie talkie clip. It was originally developed for biking, and we quickly realized that this product integrated perfectly with the surf-skate-snow lifestyles we live. With a focus on true portability and design, our speakers began turning heads on the streets and slopes of the west coast, and we’re stoked about that.
In the process, we pioneered a new segment of portable speakers- ultraportable, built for life in motion. We have grown our retail channels organically, originally seeding the product to surf-skate-snow retailers, and now we are proud to ship to Amazon, REI and Bestbuy.com. In addition, we are in over 27 countries worldwide, and have realized triple figure revenue growth each year since our inception. Earlier in 2012, we closed a Series A round led by Walden VC, and have built a team composed 8 young and hungry employees.
Today, we are working harder than ever. In our San Francisco headquarters in the vibrant Mission District, we feel the pulse the local street art scene and continue to pioneer the ultraportable speaker segment. Aside from brand management, sales hustle, and nearly every other aspect of business development, I spent the last year designing and developing the REX, a Bluetooth ultraportable speaker with great sound and a sophisticated design. The REX is going into mass production as I write this and will be available in small batches for the 2012 holiday.
LMU’s business program gave me the tools I needed as a structure for success. Dr. David Choi, as a true entrepreneur himself, offered unrivaled thought leadership and created a new product development and design class, which gave me a strong design foundation for the development of the REX. I wholeheartedly recommend LMU’s business program for entrepreneurs looking to lay the stepping stones for successful future ventures.