The Project Portfolio of Sebastian Wallach
Entrepreneurship
If there’s been one consistent theme throughout my life, it’s my constant pull toward entrepreneurship. Growing up in a family of entrepreneurs, it was no surprise that I wanted to follow in my parents’ footsteps and one day build something of my own.
From a young age, I found ways to channel my inventive spirit and stay on the forefront of trends and technology. My first ventures were small but meaningful—selling handmade survival bracelets on the beaches of New York and Massachusetts, then turning sea glass I found while beachcombing into unique pieces of jewelry.
My interests soon shifted toward additive manufacturing. With the support of my father, I dove into the markets of fidget spinners and customizable trinkets, designing and selling products during the height of their popularity.
Next came radio-controlled hobbies, which introduced me to the world of first-person-view racing and aerial cinematography with drones. This passion quickly became a small business during high school, where I offered photography and cinematography services to local realtors or property owners. I even got to dabble in follow cam work for action sports slightly.
As I grew, I continued to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities through summer programs in high school and later as a Fellow at the Dyer Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Lafayette College.
Although I’ve taken a step back from entrepreneurship while building my professional career, I know it will always be a part of who I am. I’m excited to return to that world in the near future, bringing with me new skills, experiences, and perspectives.
Clean Cover
Duke Global Technology Entrepreneur Program
During the summer of 2018, I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a Duke Summer Academy. The program was centered around the idea of learning the basics of entrepreneurship and building companies. The program was a month-long class, in which we were challenged to use the lessons that we were taught in the first week, to create a business in the remaining time. We then pitched the new company to a board of mock investors to see if they would invest in our company. After bringing together a group of brilliant and creative classmates, we got to work. The idea that we came up with was a company called Clean Cover. Our product was an eco-friendly, disposable placemat geared toward the travel industry. I designed Clean Cover to be taped down to the average airplane tray table before a person began to work or eat on the surface. The Clean Cover would be a protective, sanitary barrier between the dirty tray table, and the customer's food, computer, or anything that was resting on the tray table. Clean Cover was also designed to be cinched with a unique drawstring design so that when flight attendants came around to collect passengers trash, all they had to do was cinch the Clean Cover with all the trash inside, and place it into the garbage bag. The selling point of our project was that it would protect a customer from the scientifically proven unsanitary tray table. It would also speed up plane cleanup for the flight attendants. After two weeks of contacting airlines such as American Airlines and Lufthansa for feedback on our product, and to see if they were interested in potentially purchasing Clean Cover, we pitched our company to the board of investors. Clean Cover ended up placing second in the competition, with a final score of sixty-eight out of seventy available points. The Global Technology Entrepreneur Program not only taught me a lot about entrepreneurship and business, but also gave me the opportunity to experience a college level class, and possibly even create another business in the future.
Blue View Photography
In mid-2017, I started my own business, Blue View Photography, driven by my interest in drone technology and aerial photography. I researched the market to ensure the name was unique, and I explored the necessary licensing and insurance requirements. After securing the proper insurance, I began taking on clients.
During the early stages, I completed several shoots. One of my favorites was for Gosset Brothers Nursery, where I created a short commercial for social media highlighting their Christmas trees and holiday decorations. Another exciting shoot was for Gartner in Stamford, Connecticut, where the aerial photography and video I captured were used in a presentation showcasing local amenities for employees.
Balancing High School and running a business proved challenging, and I eventually decided I could not dedicate the time needed to grow Blue View Photography while maintaining the grades I wanted. Despite this, the experience of starting a business, executing professional shoots, and working directly with clients was incredibly valuable. It gave me confidence in my entrepreneurial abilities and inspired me to build more successful ventures in the future.
Survival Stand
At the age of ten, I started my first business, Survival Stand, selling handmade paracord bracelets. The idea came from an art class, where my teacher taught me a special crochet knot in twine. I immediately fell in love with the design and the process of weaving it. That evening, I experimented with thicker, more durable rope and created my first bracelet.
After making many bracelets, I eventually ran out of rope around my house, so I started sourcing military-grade paracord from a hardware store. This rope, originally designed for parachutes, is incredibly strong—one strand of grade-three paracord can hold up to 550 pounds. Using the basic crochet knot and paracord, I built a business around the concept that each bracelet could serve as a life-saving tool: depending on wrist size, each bracelet contained about ten feet of high-strength rope that could be unwound and used in an emergency.
I sold these bracelets on beaches with the help of my siblings and best friends all throughout the Northeast and donated over $1,500 from the company’s profits to local animal shelters. I eventually secured a trademark for the Survival Stand name. Throughout my elementary and middle school careers, I continued selling the bracelets, along with custom wire-wrapped sea glass necklaces and earrings I created, at various beaches and sidewalks across the region.
