Join "Faces"

We welcome alumni of all ages and stages interested in joining the "Faces of Wharton Entrepreneurship."
To get started, simply email us your contact information.

TEACHING
Feature: From All Corners of Campus

OUTREACH
Feature: Entrepreneurial Training Camp

Which Fast-Growing Private Company Is #1?

Faces of Wharton Entrepreneurship

RESEARCH
Feature: Visiting Scholar to Business Leaders: Consider "Learning from Near Misses"

Verbatim: Our Directors, in Quotes

Ron L. Wilson, II
CEO and co-founder

Personal Information
Company name /type: Big Bang Products, LLC

Education: MBA, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and B.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech

Primary place of residence: Baltimore, MD

P.O.V. (Point of View)
I became an entrepreneur because: I wanted to do what I enjoy and free myself from the bureaucracies of the corporate world.

Best way to respond to criticism and doubters: Don’t. Prove them wrong with your actions and results.

Best definition of a successful entrepreneur: Someone who has created an organization that can continue to survive and flourish without them.

Most challenging part of your job: Managing cash flows of a retail business that is winter product driven.

Biggest impact of the Wharton School: The people. Cofounder of Big Bang, Brian Le Gette, is a fellow Wharton Graduate. Most of our initial investors were Wharton Students. Today, we have two other Wharton Graduates: John Touchton, Jr. (WG ’95) and Ray Bank (WG ’85) on our Board of Directors.

Best memory of your Wharton days: Pub on Thursdays.

Close calls
How you started your business: Brian Le Gette (WG ’95) and myself developed an earwarmer that wraps around the back of the head (marketed under the 180°s and Eargrips) while at Wharton with a $5k investment. We sold about 1000 units on campus while conducting market research on the product in 1994.

Pivotal moment in growing your business: Airing the product on QVC (West Chester, PA) in 1995. We sold about 7,000 units in 6 minutes and went on to sell almost 50,000 units in our first season.

Most interesting non-entrepreneurial job offer you’ve declined: That’s an oxymoron: interesting and non-entrepreneurial.

Biggest surprise you encountered growing your business: By the time we have reached significant plateaus (for example, $1 million in revenues, $10 million in revenues, or selling for the first time to a top retailer), I have spent so much time planning beyond that point that it does not feel like a particularly big event. In the entrepreneurial world, I have learned very quickly not to rest on our company’s laurels.

Most difficult decision you’re glad you made: Starting an entrepreneurial venture right out of Wharton. I gave up pursuing a summer internship and spent what little money I had saved on pursuing the development of our product and business. For several years beyond Wharton, we made sacrifices of time (long, long hours) and money (paltry salaries) to make the business viable.

Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur
Favorite Web site: ESPN and Hoovers

Book that most influenced your thinking: Swoosh : The Unauthorized Story of Nike and the Men Who Played There. This book in particular gave me a perspective on all the trials and tribulations that a successful company experiences during its growth. Reading and absorbing the events depicted in this book has allowed me to take more of our difficulties and setbacks in stride.

Favorite activity outside of business: Basketball. Big Bang plays every Wednesday night in a gym we rent out.

Goal still pursuing: making 180°s and Kelysus household brand names ala Nike, Adidas, Coleman, etc.

Person most influential to your success: Brian Le Gette. Having a partner with mutual goals, but different talents and perspectives has had an enormous positive influence on my success.

Person you most admire: Ben Franklin, the guy did it all.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .