Rivers’ Young Entrepreneurs Glean Business & Life Lessons from Kulkea CEO David Abramowitz ’83

It’s never too early to think about starting your own business.

 

That’s why Rivers alum and Kulkea founder and CEO David Abramowitz ’83 met with the Rivers Entrepreneur Club on Thursday to discuss the risks and rewards that come with launching a startup.

 

Abramowitz, a former intellectual property attorney, always yearned to start his own business, but for him, the timing was everything. As he explained to a group of about 30 Rivers students, he had to keep that dream on hold until he had the financial means to support his venture—and he had to ensure that his venture was viable.

 

Kulkea manufactures a ski boot bag called the Boot Trekker, which allows skiers to easily and effectively store all of their equipment, from bulky snow pants, to helmets, to lip balm, to, of course, boots. Most importantly, the bag features a unique support system for carrying 25 pounds of equipment comfortably.

 

When Abramowitz launched the company in 2008, there was a gap in the marketplace for precisely the type of product he envisioned.

 

“At the time,” Abramowitz said, “I saw a need.”

 

As he explained to the Entrepreneur Club, launching the business wasn’t easy.

 

“It takes a lot of work, a lot of time,” he said. “When you’re in a startup, you wear many different hats.”

 

For the students’ benefit, Abramowitz outlined the entire process of initiating a startup. He had to develop the prototype, which takes years. He had to find a manufacturer—and not just a manufacturer, but the right manufacturer that would produce a viable product at a reasonable cost. He talked about convincing retailers to choose your product rather than your competitor’s—especially when your competitor has pilfered your ideas and incorporated them into his own product.

 

Abramowitz shared a small business horror story about teaming up with a manufacturer that created a defective product, which meant that he had to recall all of those products, fix them, and then absorb all of the costs.

 

But now that Abramowitz has seen his product come to life at a number of sporting goods stores across the country, including Christy Sports and Ski Barn, the struggle has certainly been worth it. His lifelong Rivers connections have helped him bring his product to market: A fellow alum serves as his primary product tester, and another Rivers grad owns the factory that produces the Boot Trekker.

 

Abramowitz emphasized the idea that there are different types of entrepreneurs out there, and that the students don’t necessarily need to fit a mold. Above all, they need to be eager, passionate, and very, very well prepared for the myriad challenges that come with small business ownership.

 

At the conclusion of his presentation, Abramowtiz was asked to offer the best bit of advice he could to a group of aspiring entrepreneurs.

 

“Starting a small business is a very risky position,” he told them without hesitation, “but it comes with great reward.”