Month: December 2021

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#154: The Art of Skis with Jason Levinthal

Jason Levinthal J Skis
J Skis
Jason Levinthal J Skis


This week Jon gets down with Jason Levinthal, who founded LINE in his parents’ garage back in 1995 and is known for creating some of the first twin tip skis.

After selling LINE to K2 sports, Jason was longing to get back into the industry, with the lessons he learned about scaling and the new prospects of online selling. In 2013, he founded J Skis with a direct-to-consumer business model with limited edition runs and a community focus. On top of all that, Jason medaled in the first-ever Winter X Games slopestyle skiing event in 1998.

Today, J Skis is known for its limited run ski designs, gear and clothing with frequent Vermont collaborations, including Stowe Cider Apres All Day skis and Ski the East Ice Lightning skis.

Learn more at https://jskis.com

Check out this episode!

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Podcasts

#153: Kill the Vibe with Cyrus Schenck

Cyrus Schenck Renoun Skis
Cyrus Schenck CEO Renoun Skis
Cyrus Schenck Renoun Skis


This week Jon sits down with Cyrus Schenck, CEO of Renoun and co-founder of Mission V Sports. If you’re a skier or snowboarder in Vermont, you’ve surely seen Renoun skis all over your favorite mountain, but many people don’t really know what makes these skis so special.

A graduate of Champlain Valley Union High School, Cyrus went on to learn about material sciences in college. There, he got the idea to put a non-newtonian substance, a material that changes properties under stress and strains, in the core of a ski. The result was VibeStop, a technology that stops 300% more unwanted vibrations than a regular pair of skis.

After changing the game in ski materials, Cyrus realized that VibeStop technology has applications across the sporting world and even across industries.

Listen to how a Vermont entrepreneur went from washing windows in college to changing the ski industry and building a technology used across surfing, boating, and even flooring.

Learn more at https://renoun.com/ and https://missionvsports.com/

Check out this episode!

Categories
Podcasts

#152: Forecasting the Future with Tom Messner

Tom Messner
Tom Messner
Tom Messner


This week Jon sits down with Vermont’s favorite weatherman, Tom Messner. After 31 years at NBC5 serving Northern New York and Vermont as Chief Meteorologist, Tom is retiring from our televisions and moving on to a new chapter as a media consultant, early stage investor and advocate for the Vermont entrepreneurial community.

Messner may be leaving TV, but he’s invested right here in Burlington. Between the beautiful state and the people of the community, Tom says Vermont is the perfect place to build a business.

After decades of finding sunshine for the community, Tom is ready to help local businesses and startups find opportunities. His advice to entrepreneurs, “Don’t be afraid to reach out! People in this community are so willing to help and they want to see what you’re trying to do succeed.”

Get in touch with Tom on LinkedIn.

Check out this episode!