Virtual Entrepreneur

Skiing Entrepreneur Brings Style To His Boards

First Tracks:
In 2005, as a dedicated lifelong skier recently transplanted from the flatlands of Dallas, Texas, to the mountain mecca of Boulder, Colorado, John Mansell found himself in need of a gear upgrade. But the rows of innumerable ski models lining his local shops left him decidedly unimpressed.

“The style had gone out of skis,” says Mansell, 42. “All the top-rated skis were the same: mass-produced and soulless.” He was similarly unimpressed by their performance. “The more skis I tried, the more dismayed I became.”

As a successful entrepreneur, however, Mansell knew that often the best way to get what you want is to build it yourself. In 1990, Mansell co-founded Auto-Trac, Inc., where he invented and patented the GPS/cellular vehicle-tracking technology. His innovative products led to the birth of a new industry and are now being used on millions of cars worldwide: General Motors’ OnStar is just one example. In 1997, Mansell purchased the nationally renowned Dr. Lynn Weiss Center for Attention Deficit Disorder and successfully reorganized it into Prima A.D.D., Inc., which he then sold in 2003. Read more.