Jake Tanner '16
Position: CEO & Creative Director, Outstanding Now
Industry: Apparel
Jake Tanner is CEO and creative director of Outstanding Now, a creative clothing agency that designs and manufactures premium-branded apparel stores for clients. Jake has always been an entrepreneur, starting his first business at age 13. “My first business was a line of pots and pans for cooking. While it ultimately failed, it was fun to be a 13-year-old submitting products to Costco.”
For Jake, being average was never an option. “I love creating things. To me, entrepreneurs are like artists. We get to create beautiful things that solve problems, add value to the world, and help better people’s lives. LMU helped inspire my business idea; I remember walking around campus my junior year and seeing how many of my classmates were wearing LMU t-shirts or shirts that had their fraternity or sorority name on it. When I heard my friends talk about the poor quality of shirts their vendors were providing, I knew there was an opportunity to innovate and disrupt a giant and stagnant industry.”
Jake started his business that same year and entered it into the LMU Business Incubator his senior year where he worked tirelessly to grow his business along with his classmates and Dr. David Choi, head of the Entrepreneurship Program. “The Entrepreneurship Program at LMU was the reason I came to this school. The faculty and staff provided everything I could have ever needed to launch my company. They helped me to grow my company to the point that it was my full-time job starting the day I graduated. I’m living my entrepreneurial dream.”
Today, Jake’s company is seen as a leader in the branded apparel space. Outstanding Now is one of the fastest growing companies in the apparel industry. His company has designed and created tour merchandise for famous musicians, landed exclusive contracts for feature films, coffee shops, liquor companies, film festivals, non-profit organizations, universities, and hundreds of other clients. Jake says that coming to LMU was one the best decisions of his life and that many of his former classmates, who are also business owners, are some of his clients. Even LMU itself is one of Jake’s clients. “While LMU is a smaller school, the alumni care for each other tremendously, LMU Lions are a close family. I am blessed to be a part of this small yet incredible network of people.”