OC Ramps owner and CEO Tyler LargePhoto: Courtesy of Tyler Large
How he got his start: Tyler Large built his first ramp in middle school in Huntington Beach, Calif. "My house became the neighborhood's favorite skate park," he says.
With time, he began helping more and more people with their skateboard ramps. When he reached high school, he realized: Why not try to sell some of these ramps he created? "To a 16 year old, [who] was working at a pizza store for $7 an hour, selling ramps was a dream," he says. "In college, I developed the idea of selling these skate ramps in kit form—just like IKEA does with their furniture products. In 2005, I got a website, and we hit the ground skating!"
What sets his company apart: Large says what sets his company apart is quality and experience. "There's a reason our customers include Google, Disney, Apple, etc.," he adds. "You want the best in skateboarding, you come to OC Ramps. We are the founders of the skate ramp kit, with over 250,000 kits sold worldwide."
What innovation means to him: "Innovation is key in today's business world," Large explains. "You want to be successful? You need to constantly create and be moving. The stagnant brands will be replaced with time." He adds that he finds inspiration in various business and educational podcasts, meditation, and surrounding himself with "good people—inside and out of the industry."
For this essie event, OC Ramps helped the nail polish company custom build a skatepark at the Annenberg Community Beach House. The event offered up free manicures, surfside bites, and fun art projects in celebration of both the launch of its new "Sk8 With Destiny" line and its “Hands All In” initiative with The Foundation For Art & Healing’s (FHA) Project UnLonely.Photo: Courtesy of OC Ramps
Memorable moments: "Building a custom ramp at Google's headquarters was an experience," he remembers. "This was our second ramp at their facility in Silicon Valley." The endeavor was such a success that the CEO asked for a similar ramp at his home. Large adds, "We also had a great event both on Santa Monica Pier and the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel."
His biggest hope for the events industry: "I hope event coordinators keep amazing skateboard talent at the top of their budgets," Large says. "We bring the fun and something absolutely unique to your event. Don't sleep on it, skate on it!"
This feature is sponsored by 6Connex, your all-in-one event technology to manage and host successful events at scale and in any format—in-person, hybrid, virtual, or webinars.
