Justin Gelwicks ’23, an integrated business and engineering student at Lehigh, started WoodGoods Lacrosse, after he was mugged. His freshman year at his former college he was attacked, leaving him with a head injury and unable to play on the lacrosse team.
“Whenever I had problems in life, I poured myself into either school or sports,” Gelwicks says. “But I couldn’t do either. I needed an outlet.”
Gelwicks used his down time to learn woodworking. He started making wooden sticks for his teammates as a farewell. They were stronger than the carbon ones his peers were using, and cheaper. He began selling the sticks at tournaments. Next thing he knew, he had a business, one that was going so well—he was making over $3,000 a weekend—he thought he was done with school.
“While I felt tremendous societal pressure to go back to school,” Gelwicks remembers, “I really…
