Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property
My name is David Spears and I am an Intellectual Property attorney who manages patent portfolios for client ranges from start-up companies to multibillion dollar companies around the world. I am also a former college football player for Michigan State University. I am interviewing people who have invested in themselves and Intellectual property, and who then goes on to start a business around their intellectual Property.
Entrepreneurship and Intellectual Property
How Rise is reinventing education after Shark Tank
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What happens when a former teacher decides the education system is broken… and builds a company designed to completely reinvent how students learn? In this episode of Everything Intellectual Property, we sit down with Trevor Safransky, founder of Rise, the innovative academic and recreation center that captured national attention on Shark Tank. What started as frustration inside the classroom evolved into a bold mission to create the ultimate student experience—one that combines elite academic support with dream-like recreation spaces designed to make kids actually want to learn.
Trevor takes us behind the scenes of building Rise from the ground up in Michigan, revealing the emotional highs, financial risks, and relentless belief required to transform a local concept into a nationally recognized brand. From basketball courts and gaming lounges to leadership development and academic coaching, he explains why modern education must evolve beyond traditional tutoring and how Rise is challenging everything parents and students expect from after-school learning.
We also dive into the Shark Tank experience, entrepreneurship, branding, intellectual property strategy, and the reality of scaling an education-focused business in today’s world. If you care about innovation, startups, education, or building something that genuinely changes lives, this episode is a masterclass in vision, persistence, and purpose.
#Rise #TrevorSafransky #SharkTank #Education #Entrepreneurship #Startup #FounderStory #EducationReform #StudentSuccess #BusinessPodcast #Motivation #Leadership #Innovation #IntellectualProperty #BrandBuilding #MichiganBusiness #Tutoring #YouthDevelopment #EverythingIntellectualProperty #AmericanDream
00:00 – Meet Trevor Safransky & the Rise Story
01:12 – Why Traditional Education Is Failing Students
03:48 – The Vision Behind Rise’s Academic & Recreation Model
06:25 – From Teacher to Entrepreneur
09:40 – Building a Student Experience Kids Actually Love
13:18 – The Business Challenges of Scaling Rise
17:05 – Inside the Shark Tank Experience
22:44 – Branding, Intellectual Property & Protecting the Business
28:10 – The Future of Education & Student Development
34:52 – Trevor’s Advice for Entrepreneurs Building Purpose-Driven Companies