Entrepreneur(s) of the Week: Shane and Shawn
You would never expect these two manly twin brothers from a working class family in Detroit to be among the top shoe designers in the world. But Shane and Shawn Ward had a passion to make really sexy, comfortable shoes for women “on the move” and expanded that dream into a successful high-end line of both footware and clothing for men and women: DETNY (Detroit/New York).
Planet of the Apes buy Doubt divx
They started in 2003 and within 3 years they made their first $1million and have exceeded $5million in sales to date.
Raised in a family of 7 kids by a single mom who was a nurse, who was their key inspiration in being successful, they learned the value of hard work. They also learned that Shane was a great designer and Shawn had a head for business. They graduated with degrees in industrial design and mechanical engineering from University of Michigan and Shane went on to design sneakers and crosstrainers for Adidas.
This interview from CNBC’s Big Idea (great show about entrepreneurship) and shows that they may achieve celebrity status outside of designing! They are smart and articulate and originally inspired by women they saw walking in heels on the streets of NYC. They have an A-list celebrity client roster and a new flagship store in Soho and have plans of developing a full product line like Kenneth Cole. Two very nice guys raised very well deserve this kind of success!
Tags: CNBC Big Idea, DETNY, entrepreneur, fashion, Shane and Shawn Ward, shoes, University of Michigan