Whenever I meet someone and they ask me what I do, the answer is simple: I print t-shirts.But it’s so much more than that. I’m a lifelong entrepreneur who’s been building successful businesses since I was a kid—from my childhood lawn-mowing operation and my high school car-detailing service to the record label I started in college and the device accessory company I co-founded, built, and sold to a private investment firm.Today, I’m the cofounder and CEO of Stakes Manufacturing, a print-on-demand products company that partners with some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment, and e-commerce. Our company ships more than 4 million orders per year, and in the past half-decade, we’ve grown our revenue by 6x. Stakes was named the 2022 APSE National Employer of the Year and a 2024 Smart Business Evolution of Manufacturing honoree.As someone who’s spent nearly his entire life managing every aspect of operating and growing businesses, I’ve amassed the skills to take on any role necessary to make organizations better: I can see the big picture while diving into the daily grind, I can navigate the intricacies of our budget while steering large teams through significant moments of transition, and I can develop high-level strategies and identify partnership opportunities while still making time to meet one-on-one with even the most entry-level members of our crew. I’m deeply passionate about fostering an inclusive workforce, and more than half of the Stakes team is from an under-represented or differently-abled community. In 2024, I co-authored the book “Inklusivity: Company Benefits of Disability Inclusion & How-To Implementation Guide for the Print Industry,” which provides a roadmap for folks in the manufacturing industry to build out more inclusive hiring practices."For entrepreneurs the most important thing to remember is, its never no, its not yet."Seth Goldman, Founder of Honest Tea"It will never get easier, handle hard better!"Kara Lawson, head coach of the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team