Meet Nathaniel Wellen | Entrepreneur, Umbrella Inventor & Surfer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nathaniel Wellen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nathaniel, what do you attribute your success to?
For me, the journey began when I was 7 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Every morning, my dad and I would walk three blocks from our house to my elementary school. One day, in the midst of our trek to school, it started pouring. Everyone knows that feeling: an unexpected rainstorm catches you by surprise, and you panic; you’re getting drenched; you’re cold; you’re miserable; and you don’t know what to do. Luckily, that day my dad had an umbrella, but the brim was barely large enough to cover both of us. Walking in the rain with my Dad, there was no easy way to hold my backpack, hold hands, and hold the umbrella without getting totally drenched. If only we both had handles and a larger brim, maybe I could have stayed dry. That’s when the light bulb went off! The world needed a better umbrella. I never felt more passionately about something.

My dad and I went to work, disassembling umbrellas, drilling holes in the handles, jamming selfie sticks inside. Soon we had our first prototype. And it worked! The next time we ventured to school in the rain, we stayed perfectly calm, dry, safe, and comfortable. We dubbed our dual-handle Umbrella “The Duo.”

When I moved to Los Angeles in the fourth grade, I heard about the Invention Convention, a global competition where kid entrepreneurs and inventors could get recognition for their idea, awards, patents, and even win some money to fund “The Next Big Thing.” With the full support of my family, I knew I needed to compete in the convention. Channeling my passion for “The Duo,” I competed and won recognition at a half-dozen competitions, moving from local to regional to state to national to global Invention Conventions, ultimately winning “The Most Original Invention” in the country, and placing in the top one-tenth of one percent of competitors in the world. Along the way, I was humbled to meet so many inspiring kids who’d dreamt up genius inventions to change the world.

Following the Invention Convention, I cold-called Shed Rain, the most prestigious, innovative, and largest umbrella company in the world. The CEO shared my passion for “The Duo,” and agreed to partner on the project. With a manufacturer and distributor onboard, shortly after my 15th birthday, I auditioned for and appeared on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” miraculously landing a deal with Robert Herjavec.

We’ve begun taking orders for “The Duo” at “theduo.com” and “shedrain.com,” and have landed distribution deals with Target, Nordstrom, and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Passion can sprout from anything, from anywhere. I certainly wouldn’t have dreamt I’d be passionate about umbrellas, and yet here I am. Passion can sneak up on you. Keep your eyes peeled for it. Harness it.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am fifteen years old, a high school freshman, the President of Duo LLC, and the co-inventor of a patented device that makes sharing an umbrella safe and simple. With “The Duo,” we are reimagining the way people stay dry and safe in the rain with a new experience.

The umbrella is among the oldest inventions in history, dating back 3,000 years to Chinese and Egyptian Days. Since then, very little has changed about the conventional umbrella, and it works perfectly fine when it is used by one person, but when you add another person of a different height, it no longer serves its intended purpose and function. “The Duo” conveniently and comfortably adds a second, hidden, adjustable, retractable handle that extends from the first handle to enable two people of different heights to walk and hold an umbrella at the same time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I were given a week to show you my favorite things to do in Los Angeles, I would focus the adventure on The South Bay.

We’d spend the week alternating between eating and surfing. For me, surfing is therapy. There’s nothing more beautiful, calming, and peaceful than being immersed in nature. Technology can’t touch you. It’s just you, some friends, and the rush of the ocean. Everyone should experience surfing at least once in their lifetime, and I’d consider it an honor to shepherd someone along that journey.

After an early morning surf, I’m always starving. And there’s nothing that hits the spot better than a California breakfast burrito. But as you know, not all breakfast burritos are created the same. My dad and I have spent the better part of the last two years searching Los Angeles for the best breakfast burrito in LA. Our favorite spots are “Wake & Late” in Downtown LA and “Barran’s” in Hermosa. After breakfast, it’s back to surfing, and then we could head to either Maderos Cocina Mexicana for chicken enchiladas or smash burgers from Easy Street.

Sleep. Bang out some work. Head to Redondo Beach. Rinse and repeat.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would never have made it this far without my “Three Champions”: my dad Alex Wellen, Shed Rain CEO Jeff Blauer, and Shark Tank Shark Robert Herjevac.

First, there’s my dad, whose been with me from the very start. From the day I invented “The Duo,” we’ve been overcoming challenges, dreaming big, and constantly moving forward. My dad’s been an inventor and businessman his entire life, so when I run into problems, have doubts, or don’t know what to do, he’s always right by my side, encouraging and teaching me how to solve problems. With my dad, I learn something new every day. You need someone to bet on you, and he’s done that time and time again. It’s hard to put in words how proud I feel when I get to tell people that my dad is my business partner. He’s the best mentor, guide, and father I could ever ask for. A big shoutout to my mom and sister, too, who have lovingly supported me the whole way, helping me pitch the Sharks on Shark Tank. I love all three of you guys.

My second champion is Jeff Blauer, the CEO of Shed Rain, who has also taken a massive chance on me. After some success at the Invention Convention, I realized that I might actually be able to bring “The Duo” to life. But I needed a partner who knew the umbrella ropes. I started cold-calling umbrella companies, but I was singularly-focused on landing one company in particular: Shed Rain, the biggest, most innovative, and the world’s most premium umbrella company on the planet. I was over the moon when I got an email back, agreeing to a Zoom call with Jeff. This was my big shot. I pitched him, making an instant connection with the CEO, and two years later, we have more momentum than ever. Over the course of hundreds of emails, phone calls, and meetings, we’ve built prototypes, launched an official “The Duo” website, and landed a deal on Shark Tank. Without Jeff’s faith and the support of the whole Shed Rain team, none of this would have been possible.

Which brings me to the legendary entrepreneur, Robert Herjevac, the newest member of “The Duo” team. He recently said that while he loved the invention – what he referred to as “the horse,” that he was betting on “the jockey” – me. I was touched. Like me, he wants to see “The Duo” in the hands of couples and parents sharing umbrellas everywhere.

Website: theduo.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holdhandles/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanielwellen/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DuoUmbrella

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duoumbrella

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-VI9ji8yco

Other: You can buy “The Duo” exclusively at https://shedrain.com/pages/theduo

Image Credits
Alex Wellen