RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — March 9, 2016 — Patrick Whaley, founder and CEO of Tititn LLC, is the recipient of the AATCC Young Entrepreneur Award. Whaley is recognized for developing a line of fitted, weighted compression athletic apparel that creates an improved workout experience in many workout disciplines. This apparel has been used therapeutically and professionally to build strength, endurance, and speed.
Whaley had an idea about merging clothing with weights to build muscle and strength. The weighted vests currently used to build muscle were mostly clumsy and uncomfortable, and a majority of the weight was placed on the shoulders, creating poor posture and slouching. He taught himself to sew using YouTube, and as an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, his sketched ideas led to prototypes of an athletic shirt with pockets stitched over major muscles of the torso and arms; in these pockets, hydro-gel packs were inserted as weights. The weight distribution allowed for a lighter feel and ease-of-movement.
In 2010, he entered his weighted shirt system into Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize Competition, where he won not only First Place, but also the People’s Choice Award. In 2011, his product won Most Bankable Award at the Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition and at the Rice University’s Business Plan Competition. Also in 2011, he won Outstanding Product Award from Global Venture Labs. By 2012, he had patented and trademarked his product, now known as TITIN, and during this year, won the Under Armour Innovation Challenge. In 2014, Whaley appeared on the Shark Tank television program, and received a lucrative offer from Daymond John, entrepreneur and creator of FUBU clothing company. Today, Whaley has athletes and teams of the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, and PGA wearing his products. TITAN Tech has been used by actors in the movie, Expendable 3, and by the Norwegian Olympic Skating team in training for the 2014 Olympics.
Besides researching and developing TITIN Tech apparel, and determining its athletic and therapeutic uses, Whaley has created a business development plan, negotiated multi-million dollar capital investments, and commercialized this apparel. He led product licensing negotiations, marketing, and product development research, and was awarded multiple US and international patents and trademarks for TITIN Tech apparel.
Whaley will receive the Young Entrepreneur Award during an Awards Luncheon at the AATCC International Conference, held April 19-21, 2016 in Williamsburg, VA, USA.
Posted March 9, 2016
Source: AATCC, the Association of Textile, Apparel & Materials Professionals
