Skip to main content

Poole Alumn Aims to Bring Competitive Skateboarding to Campuses

Entrepreneurship and skateboarding, what do the two have in common? Keegan Guizard, Poole College’s Board of Advisors Outstanding Student of the Year Award Recipient, sees similarities between the two.

"There is always risk, but it’s all about attitude and work ethic," says Guizard. It's also a matter of personal initiative, whether in developing skateboarding skills or creating a new venture.

Guizard, who graduated in December 2012 with a bachelor's degree in business administration, a concentration in entrepreneurship and a minor in Spanish, has been on a skateboard since third grade; as a college student, he joined NC Skate, a student organization at NC State University.

He also has been drawn to entrepreneurship, saying, "I have always liked the idea of working on my own initiatives," and views starting a business as a way to directly provide value for others.

Guizard found support for his entrepreneurial aspirations during his undergraduate years through involvement in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, which brings entrepreneurially minded students together within Poole College and NC State's Entrepreneurship Initiative, which helps connect entrepreneurial minded students from all areas of the university.

Connecting students is one of Guizard's objectives for Collegiate Skate Tour, an organization that he started to bring together college students interested in skateboarding. It is the first national contest series for skateboarders studying in college, Guizard said. He facilitates the competition in addition to incentivizing higher education for skateboarders.

"I have become captivated by social entrepreneurship and the greater good that can be accomplished through that," he said.

He also is involved in another entrepreneurial venture, Capital Promotions, Incorporated, a screen-printing business started about 20 years ago. He joined the Capital Promotions team in the summer of 2011 as a student sales representative, selling the screen-printing services to Greek and other student organizations. Guizard still works with the company while also serving as an independent sales representative for various skateboarding brands like Circa Footwear and Ambig Clothing.

Guizard also is involved in the development of a medical device start-up company, introduced to him through NC State's entrepreneurship and biomedical engineering programs. In a medical first response situation involving cardiac arrest, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, the device rapidly cools saline solution upon injection into the patient. The cold saline slows the metabolism of the patient, requiring less work by the patient's body and brain in transit to the hospital.

He is also has an internship at HUB Candidate Raleigh, a co-working space and business incubator that helps start-ups with connections, resources, and facilities.

Back to the connection between skateboarding and entrepreneurship: "When you finally succeed, it is better than anything you have ever felt. The adrenaline rush is unmatched," Guizard said.

Story update (Feb. 10, 2015) View recent information about Collegiate Skate Tour on YouTube 

Related News

Guizard selected as Poole College’s Board of Advisors Outstanding Student of the Year Award Recipient