11/16/2016
Today we are sharing the story of one of our OG employees, Nate, on how working with Beacon helped him start his own clothing company, Innate Apparel :
Ever since my internship at a local startup company in my junior year of high school I have been extremely intrigued with entrepreneurship. This passion further developed when I started my first company a job board for high school students. The passion kept growing with every failed business and birth of a new one. Leading up to college I only had one real job, which really confirmed that I absolutely can not work under someone.
During my first weeks of college I was extremely excited to become apart of something (startup or business) I didnt want some plain job where I couldn't have creative and intellectual freedom. In terms of Beacon. It was really all just by luck. I never heard of them before the Champlain Club Fair. Where I was lucky enough to run into Peter. I told him I had experience in graphic design and was interested in helping. That night I emailed him my resume, and talked with him on the phone for around an hour. Peter and beacon really opened up the side of Burlington I was striving to get into. (start up scene, entrepreneurs).
Beacon got me a pass at VCET, they recommended me to so many interesting gigs and jobs. I am now designing their new national branch site.
This experience lead me to found my own clothing company, with fellows designer and friend,Tristan Scilipoti - called Innate Apparel.
In the past I have worked in the apparel industry, so my existing knowledge, combined with the help of Peter's marketing expertise and Tristian's vision has helped the brand to grow to where it is today.
We are currently working on warmer clothes, and just getting our name out there. Who knows what the future will hold for me, fail or succeed, it will be a learning experience either way.
Nate Boland
CEO/Founder of Innate Apparel
