Starter Story The Underdog: From Life Changing Accident to $100M/Year | Starter Story
Sep 30, 2025
Ryan Chen, co-founder of NeuroGum, shares his inspiring journey from a life-altering spinal injury at 19 to building a $100M business. He candidly discusses the emotional turmoil of his recovery and the pivotal support from friends and family. The spark for NeuroGum came from a unique idea to combine nootropic supplements into gum, leading to innovative crowdfunding success. Ryan reflects on the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, including overcoming a near-bankruptcy trademark lawsuit, before reaching significant revenue milestones and achieving employee satisfaction.
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Life-Altering Accident And Recovery
- At 19 Ryan Chen went off a jump, shattered his spine, and was paralyzed instantly.
- He spent six months in hospital, then battled depression before rebuilding purpose with friends and rehab.
Friendship Turned Founding Partnership
- Ryan met Kent on their first day of college and bonded over video games and fitness.
- They experimented with homemade performance supplements while training for elite sports.
Scuba Trip Sparked The Gum Idea
- A Groupon scuba trip sparked the idea to make supplements more accessible in gum form.
- They kept their day jobs at Hulu and Sony while developing the concept and saving money.