Last June identical twins Nathan and Thomas Krick spent countless hours preparing to make a pitch about their outdoor television show to a panel of distinguished judges.
The Kricks were selected to participate in Network Globally, Act Locally 2017 (NGAL), an international entrepreneurial consortium made up of college students from ߲ݴý University, College of Charleston, The Citadel, the University of Tartu and Tallinn University of Technology.
Students selected for NGAL are tasked with developing a product or service. Students work alongside mentors who help them prepare for a pitch competition, which awards winners with funding to further develop their product.
During their NGAL experience, the twins traveled to Estonia to further develop their television show at the University of Tartu’s Idea Lab and then flew to the College of Charleston where they pitched their idea for “Identical Draw,” a show based on faith, brotherhood and the love for the outdoors, to the judges.
“We were so grateful for just getting our foot in the door. It was a huge blessing for us,” said Nathan Krick, a junior psychology major from Lincoln. “We just wanted to show the world how to hunt and fish safely, but we kept getting asked how we monetize that.”
Fast forward one year and the world is now watching.
In April, CarbonTV, the world’s leading outdoor, online streaming content site, debuted “Identical Draw,” starring the 20-year-old bowhunters.
“As an entrepreneur and a hunter, I knew these guys were the real deal,” said David Farbman, founder and owner of CarbonTV. “Their passion for the outdoors is evident in every shot and their messages around conservation will resonate with our new focus on Abundance.”
The Kricks agree the process hasn’t been easy.
“We faced a lot of criticism in Estonia,” said Thomas Krick, a junior exercise science major. “It was there we knew that we had to stick with what you know, to consider your target audience.”
The Kricks were faced with further constructive criticism when they pitched their show before the NGAL judges.
“NGAL gave us the confidence to push our boundaries,” said Thomas Krick. “It gave us this good experience and that encouraged us to give back what we can — be kind, forge relationships, and work hard.”
And that’s exactly what they did. Holding onto continued advice about the importance of networking, the twins turned to business contacts they had with Heartland Bowhunter and Latendresse Media Collective. Those connections eventually led to their debut on CarbonTV, which hosts 300 shows with 10 million monthly views.
Now the Kricks are working on a second season of “Identical Draw,” which begins this summer.
“They can do it too,” Thomas Krick said of this year’s NGAL participants. “They can do what we’re doing too.”
Eight teams will compete in the NGAL 2018 pitch competition on Friday, June 15 at 9 a.m. in McDonald Theater on the ߲ݴý campus.
NGAL also proved successful for ߲ݴý students in 2016 when Stacie Skaff and Gwen Plouzek took top honors at the pitch competition with SipSafe, stir sticks that test drinks for date rape drugs. The product is under further development with a working prototype expected within six months.
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—Story by Quinn Hullett, public relations intern.