By 2012, he had patented and trademarked his product, now known as TITIN, and during this year, won the Under Armour Innovation Challenge. In 2014, Whaley appeared on the Shark Tank television program, and received a lucrative offer from Daymond John, entrepreneur and creator of FUBU clothing company.
Today, Whaley has athletes and teams of the NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB and PGA wearing his products. TITIN Tech has been used by actors in the movie Expendable 3 and by the Netherlands Olympic Skating team.
Besides researching and developing TITIN Tech apparel and determining its athletic and therapeutic uses, Whaley has created a business development plan, negotiated multi-million dollar capital investments, and commercialized this apparel. He led product licensing negotiations, marketing, and product development research, and was awarded multiple U.S. and international patents and trademarks for TITIN Tech apparel.
Whaley was presented with the Young Entrepreneur Award at the AATCC International Conference in Williamsburg, Va.
The Young Entrepreneur Award
This award recognizes young entrepreneurs (less than 40 years of age) operating in the broader textile industry. An entrepreneur is defined as a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture, or idea, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and outcomes of the creation. For more information about the Young Entrepreneur Award, as well as a list of past recipients, visit the AATCC website.
Source: AATCC
Posted May 25, 2016
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – Patrick Whaley, founder and CEO of TITIN, LLC, is the recipient of the AATCC Young Entrepreneur Award.
Whaley is recognized for developing a line of fitted, weighted compression athletic apparel that creates an improved workout experience in many workout disciplines. This apparel has been used therapeutically and professionally to build strength, endurance and speed.
Whaley had an idea about merging clothing with weights to build muscle and strength. The weighted vests currently used to build muscle were mostly clumsy and uncomfortable, and a majority of the weight was placed on the shoulders, creating poor posture and slouching.
He taught himself to sew using YouTube, and as an undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, his sketched ideas led to prototypes of an athletic shirt with pockets stitched over major muscles of the torso and arms; in these pockets, hydro-gel packs were inserted as weights. The weight distribution allowed for a lighter feel and ease of movement.
In 2010, he entered his weighted shirt system into Georgia Tech’s InVenture Prize Competition, where he won not only First Place, but also the People’s Choice Award. In 2011, his product won Most Bankable Award at the Georgia Tech Business Plan Competition and at the Rice University’s Business Plan Competition. Also in 2011, he won Outstanding Product Award from Global Venture Labs.
Inventor of weighted shirt system
TITAN founder earns AATCC’s Young Entrepreneur Award
Patrick Whaley, founder and CEO of TITAN, LLC and winner of AATCC's Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, is pictured with AATCC President Sandy Johnson of Color Solutions International and Fred Cook of Georgia Tech during the association's International Conference. (Photo by Devin Steele)