Crossrope inventor knows the ropes

Navy pilot Dave Hunt always felt an entrepreneurial urge, but not until a workout injury left him riding a sofa for a few months did he think of jumping on any of his ideas.

The result was CrossRope, a company selling interchangeable jump rope systems Hunt developed with workout mavens in mind. Different rope weights provide an exercise that builds both physical and mental strength. Now three years later, investors are noticing CrossRope.

Hunt, who runs CrossRope out of the Peninsula Technology Incubator, was recently selected to participate in the 10,000 Small Businesses program run by Goldman Sachs and Babson College, located just outside of Boston.

"This was a very good way to get some nuts-and-bolts education," Hunt said of the program.

The $500 million program's stated aim is unlocking the growth and job creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States. This year, CrossRope is one of about 125 companies selected to participate in the all-expenses-paid training.

Entrepreneurs such as Hunt are given the opportunity to fill in any gaps in their business education and to hone their firms’ operations with the ultimate goal of attracting investors in mind.

Hunt said developing a strong marketing plan is a key to growing his business. Even with only a website for sales and marketing, Hunt said revenues his first month topped $4,000 – a tally he thought would take a year to reach selling CrossRope systems, which range in price from $39 to $149.

"I haven't been to gyms around the country and I don't have sales teams," Hunt said. "That piece will be essential."

But while doing so will tremendously expand CrossRope's sales, growth will also require capital. So far, Hunt says he's not at a point where he needs outside investors, but if he ever does, Hunt expects being a part of the Goldman Sachs and Babson College program will give him an edge when pitching the CrossRope story to capital investors.

"Out of every 1,000 people, there's probably two who have an entrepreneurial spirit," Hunt said. "And the other 998 look at you like you’re crazy."

Part of the allure for both potential investors and fitness fiends, Hunt says, is that CrossRope is easy to understand. The heavier a jump rope weighs, the harder a workout, and the greater the concentration required of the jumper.

He's been refining what makes a better jump rope since college. Jump ropes were part of his sprinter and triple-jump training on the U.S. Naval Academy track and field team. Then as a pilot, Hunt continued jumping rope. Ropes are easily transportable on deployments, kept his body trim and his mind sharp.

Tom Flake, executive director of the Hampton-based Peninsula Technology Incubator, said Hunt's experience proves Hampton Roads-based entrepreneurs can find success locally, without moving to Northern Virginia, Research Triangle in North Carolina or out west to Austin, Texas, or Silicon Valley.

"There's this brain drain here and if you’re going to convince people that staying in this area is a good idea, you need to show them," Flake said. "Dave Hunt is a perfect example."

Hunt is still active-duty, serving as a P-3 Orion pilot aboard the USS Enterprise, but plans to resign his commission when his tour ends. He’ll focus solely on growing CrossRope, which will still be based out of the incubator, located 90 seconds from his Hampton home.

"He's sort of the archetype of what we hope to do here," Flake said.

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