I dropped out of Wharton to start my own business. Within the first year, we made over $1 million in revenue.

"I couldn't see myself working in banking for the rest of my life. I realized I was most motivated to work hard when I was passionate about the project. If I didn't buy into what I was working on, I struggled. It became clear that I was going to need to build something of my own I just had no idea what that might be."

"Around that time, I started playing padel with a group of classmates from Wharton. I wanted to try something new and connect with people. I wasn't the best player, but I immediately loved padel. It felt like a combination of the many sports I'd played growing up. Because the sport is relatively new to the US, everyone is open and friendly, and I really enjoyed the social aspect."

"Driving home from padel one day, I lamented that I really needed to figure out what to do with my life. Someone joked, "You should just open a padel club." I laughed along, but inside I instantly knew that's what I would do. I got to work immediately, creating a business plan and conducting research."

"I invested 6 figures of my own savings I applied to an accelerator hosted by UPenn and was accepted about eight weeks after I'd first had the idea of starting a club. That was crucial as I moved the business forward. I received a five-figure grant, but even more importantly, I leveraged the acceptance to give my idea legitimacy."

After feeling uninspired in a tech and then banking-focused career path, a founder realized motivation depended on passion for the work. She decided she needed to build something of her own but did not know what. While playing padel with classmates, she loved the sport’s mix of familiar athletic elements and its open, friendly social culture in the US. Driving home from a game, a joke about opening a padel club triggered immediate certainty. She created a business plan, researched the market, invested six figures of personal savings, and applied to a UPenn accelerator. She was accepted about eight weeks later, received a five-figure grant, and used the accelerator credibility to advance the business.

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