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
From Shark Tank to the NBA: How Stomp Athletics Changed Basketball Traction
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What happens when two entrepreneurs decide to solve a problem every basketball player experiences?
In this episode, we sit down with the founders of Stomp Athletics, David Gonzalez and Michael Manoogian, to discuss the journey behind their innovative traction product designed for athletes across court sports. What started as a simple frustration—constantly slipping on dusty basketball courts—eventually turned into a patented product, a Shark Tank appearance, and partnerships with elite programs and professional teams.
David shares the story of sketching the original concept years before launching the business, while Michael explains how he helped scale the company from local school sales into a rapidly growing brand. Together, they break down the realities of entrepreneurship, product development, intellectual property protection, and what it takes to prepare for one of the biggest stages in business television.
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0:00 Intro to Stomp Athletics
1:25 The problem every basketball player understands
5:00 The original idea behind the product
10:00 Early sales and scaling the business
15:00 The Shark Tank entrepreneur community
20:00 Patents, trademarks, and IP challenges
25:00 Preparing for Shark Tank
30:00 Practice, pitching, and confidence
35:00 NBA teams using the product
40:00 Building relationships through entrepreneurship
43:00 The future of Stomp Athletics