Veteran Entrepreneur Overcomes Obstacles to Create Popular Mobile App

CPT Cameron Smith — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 16:36:28 -0400

Air Force pilot, Gregory Coleman, and fellow MBA candidate, Benjamin Young, realized they faced a problem while they attended the prestigious Wharton School of Business. Both men juggled family obligations, full-time work, and a rigorous academic schedule and had little time and energy to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They needed a solution.

Coleman, a 1995 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a pilot with over 60 combat and combat support missions, decided to solve this problem with the help of Young’s tech expertise. Together, the men founded Nexercise, a technology company that makes the popular Sworkit mobile app. Sworkit provides a simple way to workout anywhere, anytime with no need for equipment.

But, their entrepreneurial journey wasn’t easy. Coleman and Young graduated from business school in 2009 at the height of the global economic recession. Though their first product gained impressive traction, they wanted to create a breakout app and eventually pivoted their focus to the Sworkit project. Both men worked on the business during nights and weekends while maintaining other careers. In fact, Coleman still served as an active duty pilot in the Air National Guard when the two applied and were rejected from the famous Techstars accelerator.

However, the rejection led Coleman to a sister program called Patriot Boot Camp which targets Veterans involved in technology start-ups.

Coleman was able to attend the three-day Patriot Boot Camp in Washington, D.C. in 2012 and was exposed to a host of mentors and resources. More importantly, the program served as a community and support network for him. Entrepreneurship can often be a lonely journey and through the Patriot Boot Camp, Coleman was encouraged by the camaraderie of Veterans who were on a similar journey.

Armed with the experience and support from the Patriot Boot Camp, Coleman and Young reapplied to Techstars and were accepted to the 2013 cohort based in Chicago. This three-month program was a huge catalyst for their Sworkit app and propelled Coleman to eventually resign his full time role with the Air National Guard to focus solely on the business.

Since then, Sworkit has been a resounding success. In 2015 alone, it has grown from 200k monthly users to over 1.8 million. Today, Coleman serves as the COO of the company and manages execution and business operations. Like many Veterans, he brings valuable skills such as innovative problem solving and perseverance to the founding team. He also credits the great mentorship provided by Patriot Boot Camp and Techstars with providing key ingredients to Sworkit’s success.

Coleman’s story is a prime example of how military members can leverage their skills and “no fail” mentality to solve problems and make an impact. Coleman firmly believes that Veterans make great entrepreneurs, but that “taking the leap” is also where many Veterans stall..

Veterans can’t forget that the roadmap to entrepreneurial success is often marked with setbacks and obstacles. However, resources like the Patriot Boot Camp and finding mentors are essential to becoming a success story like Sworkit.

Visit http://sworkit.com/ to learn more about Sworkit. And if you’re an aspiring Veteran entrepreneur, check out Patriot Boot Camp!

Sworkit is the workout app that takes you through your perfect workout and fits into your life....

Sworkit is the workout app that takes you through your perfect workout and fits into your life. Never get bored, never have an excuse. Available on iOS and Android

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2015 5:26 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:26:43 -0400

What a great fit for many working military professionals and an App I must definitely try. Does it offer a pre-PT assessment evaluation?

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2015 5:27 PM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:27:47 -0400

Is Mr. Coleman on RallyPoint?

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Sep 10 at 2015 5:27 PM

SSgt Alex Robinson — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:27:48 -0400

Good for him. Great post

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Sep 10 at 2015 5:39 PM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 17:39:27 -0400

Cool information, I will check it out!

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 10 at 2015 9:55 PM

CW3 Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 21:55:08 -0400

Great story! I'll have to SWORKIT over the weekend.

Response by SGT Alexander Hildenbrandt made Sep 11 at 2015 9:38 AM

SGT Alexander Hildenbrandt — Fri, 11 Sep 2015 09:38:57 -0400

I know he went through much more than this describes. Cost of development and marketing alone gets steep and you look for interesting ways to make it happen. That’s why I love being in business for myself. It can be hard at times but it is rewarding. I think that it can solve allot of problems for transitioning soldiers. I am doing it now.

Response by 1st Lt Alan Blakeborough "F3 Zorro" made Nov 18 at 2015 6:54 PM

1st Lt Alan Blakeborough "F3 Zorro" — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 18:54:06 -0500

Congrats, just started a tech start-up in Greenville Sc. We are in the E Learning space. Teachmemorpheus.com

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2015 11:39 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Nov 2015 11:39:57 -0500

I'm interested in hearing about the actual development of the app - how was that process initiated? Did Coleman and/or Young have coding/programming experience? Or did one of the tech startup donors assist with that? If so - how much of a % did the donor(s) get for helping develop the app?

Either way - congrats to those two on a successful career.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Feb 17 at 2016 12:25 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 12:25:02 -0500

And Greg will be on Shark Tank this week. Can't wait to see this USAF veteran dominate!

Response by SSgt Obom Bowen made Mar 11 at 2016 5:02 PM

SSgt Obom Bowen — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 17:02:58 -0500

This is fascinating, great read.

Response by Capt Brandon Charters made Mar 13 at 2016 5:01 PM

Capt Brandon Charters — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 17:01:03 -0400

CPT Cameron Smith It was awesome to see Greg close on $1.5M during his Shark Tank episode! Did you watch?