OrigAudio was recently featured on ABC’s Show “Shark Tank” where they got an investment from one of the billionaire sharks, Robert Herjavec. With every purchase made proceeds support the expansion of the use of music to address important civic and social needs.
Social Entrepreneurs Jason Lucash and Mike Syzmcak talks about how OrigAudio got started, some challenges they faced & share helpful business tips for social entrepreneurs.
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Founded 2009, in Chicago, OrigAudio offers innovative solutions for music portability. With a beginning focused on recycled, self-powered, portable speakers, the company gained worldwide recognition by having their “Fold N’ Play” recycled speakers named to TIME Magazine’s ”50 Best Inventions of 2009″ list. Their second invention the “Rock-It”, is the first ever portable vibration speaker system that adheres to any surface and turns it into a speaker. The company just recently launched their third product called “Doodle” which is the world’s first ever fully customizable speaker. The company looks to continually expand its product line with gadgets that revolutionize the way people listen to music. The company’s products are currently available at retailers nationwide and online at www.origaudio.com
More about Jason and Mike:
Jason Lucash:
Jason Lucash graduated from UC Davis in 2006 with a degree in managerial economics, he launched his first business as a third-grader in the San Francisco suburb of Danville, California and has had the same entrepreneurial spirit since then. Jason gained early marketing and promotions experience while working for Major League Soccer and later JanSport. Lucash has traveled more than 600,000 miles in the past four years, it was in his travels that the idea for OrigAudio came about as an eco-friendly, portable solution, for listening to music. In August 2009 himself and business partner Mike Szymczak decided to form the company and it hasn’t stopped growing since. Their first product was named to Time Magazine’s “50 Best Inventions of 2009” list and later has gone on to sell close to 1,000,000 units of their Fold N’ Play Recycled speakers. Lucash also recently starred on season 2 and season 3 of ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” and has his product in store such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Zumiez, American Eagle, Crate & Barrel and more. Lucash continues to travel for fun as he continues to expand the business and also heads up OrigAudio’s office in Costa Mesa, California.
Mike Szymczak:
Mike Szymczak graduated from Illinois State University in 2006 with a degree in Kinesiology/ Recreation Management. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he immediately started with a 16 city tour for Major League Soccer’s Marketing Division. Following that, he was a key contributor for a startup sports marketing agency in Chicago. There he was able to fine tune his abilities and bring his ideas to full fruition. Mike Szymczak has traveled over 275,000 miles executing marketing platforms that have received national recognition. In December of 2008, Mike and his partner Jason Lucash catapulted their careers by launching their own company (OrigAudio). Mike Szymczak has special interests including environmental health, music, and traveling (following the same philosophy as OrigAudio).
