Innovation

Evan Dittig is the Founder and Executive Director of Shred.Co. Evan is 24 years old, a sponsored skateboarder, and a St. John's University graduate. For the past 14 years, he's been riding a skateboard, half of those years were spent teaching it! Some of Evan's past and present sponsors include Underground Skateshop, Brixton, Huf Footwear, and Enjoi Skateboards. Shred.Co, formerly known as Skate.Now, is a skateboard instructional program. Shred.Co’s mission is simple, to improve mental, physical, and social well-being on a local and global scale through skateboarding! They provide for-profit guidance through instructional lessons, multi-level skate classes, in-school assemblies, after-school programs, homeschool sessions, street filming missions, and birthday party packages. Portions of the profit raised are redirected into social impact projects such as equipment donations, therapeutic skate clinics, free skate lessons, demonstrations, and charitable events in the community and across the world!

Evan decided upon college graduation that Corporate America wasn’t meant for him. He insisted that he not work in Manhattan which would have meant he was working 50+ hour weeks, 5 days a week, plus his brutal commute time and expenses. Evan realized while at his local skatepark after graduation that he wanted to start his career as an entrepreneur. This is where his passion for skateboarding led to the creation of his company. Evan Dittig founded Shred.Co (formerly Skate.Now) upon his college graduation in 2016, however, it became public in 2017.

Evan founded Shred.Co as a way to share his passion for skateboarding with others, he believes skateboarding can better lives in not just his community, but around the world. Evan uses Shred.Co in two ways. For starters, Evan uses the for-profit guidance offered by Shred.Co through instructional lessons, multi-level skate classes, in-school assemblies, after-school programs, homeschool sessions, street filming missions, and birthday party packages in order to pay his and his employees bills. In addition to this, Evan uses a significant portion of the profits to allocate funds for social impact projects such as equipment donations, therapeutic skate clinics, free skate lessons, demonstrations, and charitable events in the community and across the world! Furthermore, Evan plans on expanding his team by doubling the size of the company within the next year or two. Additionally, he plans on expanding across the U.S. and international skateboard markets by employing individuals from across the world. Evan has aspirations on doubling the profit and doubling the charitable allocation funds by expanding the size of his business and by obtaining professional endorsements.

Inspiration

As someone who began skateboarding at 11 years old, Evan always had a love for the sport. In fact, according to Evan, “It (skateboarding) helped me through so many things, whether it was making friends, finding music or developing style. I really fit into that culture.” He wanted to continue his passion for skateboarding beyond graduation. It was at first his side-gig that made him some extra money. Then one day, after being inspired by a class assignment, Evan decided he wanted to take on skateboarding as a business opportunity. He created Shred Co. in hopes of following his dreams and doing what he loves full time. His business took off and he started to book group and individual lessons across the tri-state area.

Overall impact

To Evan, it is not just about skateboarding. The basis of his company revolves around the idea of community. For the kids that take classes with Shred Co., the teaching goes beyond skateboarding. Evan creates an environment where students learn life skills such as respect and communication. Many students make friends with one another, in the same way Evan made friends through skateboarding.

As for the adults, Evan has traveled across the globe, expanding Shred Co.’s community. Nationally, Evan went to Denver, Colorado to teach recovering addicts and people with developmental disabilities how to skate. He was able to show them how skateboarding can be a release for the different struggles and challenges they deal with. In terms of a global scale, Evan also traveled to countries such as Nicaragua, Cuba, Australia, and Mexico to teach lessons and donate skateboards and skate supplies to schools. With these opportunities, Shred Co. continues to bring our world together through the power of skateboarding.

Business benefit

The success of Shred Co. is fundamentally a result of the company’s dedication to consumer experience and impactful outreach strategies. After graduating in 2016, Shred Co.’s founder, Evan, sought out a market to fellow skateboarders through workshops instructing individuals on how to skateboard, and to further nurture a network of like-minded individuals. By transferring knowledge of building a business learned as a student, he was able to embody his love for skateboarding and bring to light its impact in New Jersey. Evan has increased business through such outreach events in Nicaragua, Cuba, Australia, and Mexico, where he has also built partnerships making available new empowering opportunities for children who may not have the resources to learn and become submerged in skateboarding culture.

Building upon his passions, Evan is embracing markets in these countries in supplying partnering communities with decks, shoes, and more materials. In these efforts, Evan is providing supplementary beneficial resources to, specifically, enthuse the youth, as well as their parents in the form of solutions to variable problems and ailments resolved, in part, by the exercise and conditioning of skating. Evan has pioneered advantageous methods of staying aligned with prospective clients and untapped markets with the help of his education at St. John’s, integrating consumer awareness with the sport he has a deep love for to produce an impactful service for active and adventurous individuals. More importantly, Evan is gainful through supplying these numerous markets within the skating community as they may form into long-standing network channels to diversified countries.

Social and environmental benefit

Evan stands at the foreground of emerging skateboarding communities by way of empowering business along a wide global network. There are many examples of how Evan’s efforts have addressed maladies within older individuals, and provided ways for children in many countries to discover a new sport.

In Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Australia, Evan supplied skating materials and made many connections, bridging these communities globally under the sport. In some areas where there were no ways for advocates to skateboard due to limited resources, or a lack of access to the the culture, Shred Co. implements in some ways those very educating workshops, in addition to the supplies.

Evan’s business model is both efficient and socially impacting. For the cost of supplying these goods, Shred. Co. is spreading its name wide, and stands as a kickstarter to skaters around the world. Domestically, he uses his knowledge and expertise on the sport to produce quality services, and motivates these consumers to seek further into skateboarding. It is also important for the environment in which these services are hosted to encourage being active. This combats various health issues caused by inactivity. Whilst skateboarding may be a challenging sport, Shred Co. helps to serve communities by thus challenging them to explore further their physical capacities, whether in old age or youth.

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Interview

Evan Dittig, Founder and Executive Director