Tuesday, December 1st
7am Continential Breakfast & Networking; 7:30-8:30 Speaker Presentation
Click here to purchase tickets and/or RSVP!!!
Andy Laats, Co-Founder and President
Nixon Watches
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Nixon Watches (www.nixonnow.com) was "rooted in an unsuccessful shopping trip in 1996. Chad DiNenna, a California native, was looking for a watch. He wanted something that reflected his surfing lifestyle. When he couldn't find it, he looked down at his wrist and came up with an idea: a watch company that catered to action sports.
"DiNenna, then an advertising salesman, took the idea to Andy Laats, a mechanical engineer who was getting his MBA at Stanford. Together, the 30-somethings raised nearly $1 million from venture capitalists to start Nixon" in 1997. (SD Union Tribune, June 18, 2005)
Today Nixon branded watches and fashion oriented accessories are sold in over 40 countries worldwide through both action sports and youth market fashion retailers. Over 110 employees work in Nixon’s headquarters in Encinitas and in the company’s Hossegor (France) and Hong Kong subsidiaries. Nixon sponsors some of the world’s most famous professional snow, surf and skate boarders including Tony Hawk, Danny Way, Rob Machado, Andy Irons, Bruce Irons and JP Walker as well as many of the hottest up-and-coming action sports athletes. In January 2006, Nixon was acquired by surf industry leader Billabong (BBG on the ASX).
Come hear Andy Laats tell the Nixon story, highlighting;
- The reality of starting a business with a partner - how it's the same and different from a marriage
- Living the dream vs. selling the dream - inside a passion-driven business
- What it's like to be told "No" 140 times and still be driven to start a business - angel financing a consumer product company
- From start up through growth and eventual sale - caring about your brand
- Selling to the man - the joys of integrating with a public company
Andy Laats received his BS in mechanical engineering from Cornell University and began work as the Snowboard Product Manager for Burton Snowboards. At Burton, he was head of snowboard design and production, and by 1995 was responsible for development of all branded hardgoods. In 1995, Andy left Burton to get an MBA from Stanford University and upon graduation co-founded Nixon in 1997. Andy has held advisory and board roles in apparel, consumer appliance, and ecommerce start-ups. Andy holds patents for work on both snowboard and watch design. He and his business partner won the 2005 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for consumer products in San Diego. Andy is married, has two daughters and one son and lives in Encinitas, CA.
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Location: Fish & Richardson Law Center, 12390 El Camino Real, San Diego, CA 92130 (From I-5 South, exit Carmel Valley Rd/Hwy 56 East. Left off exit. Left onto El Camino Real, left at third traffic light onto Del Mar Corporate Ct. The Fish & Richardson building is on the right.
(From I-5 North, don't take 56 bypass, exit Carmel Valley Rd. Right off exit. Left onto El Camino Real, left at third traffic light onto Del Mar Corporate Ct. The Fish and Richardson Building is on the right.)
