SD 500: Stephan Aarstol

Stephan Aarstol

CEO, Tower Paddle Boards

SDBJ 500 recap: Stephan Aarstol is the CEO and founder of Tower Paddle Boards, which sells stand up paddle boards to consumers both online and through its store in Pacific Beach. Aarstol is best known for his appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2011, which landed a deal with Mark Cuban to receive a $150,000 investment in exchange for 30 percent of the company. In 2018, Aarstol launched a new business, NoMiddleman.com, an online “everything showroom” of handpicked products from direct-to-consumer brands. Aarstol is chairman-elect and serves on the executive committee of UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. He is an advocate for shorter work days and wrote a book on the topic.

ALMA MATER

Western Washington University, University of San Diego

NOTEWORTHY

Tower Paddle Boards was featured as one of

Shark Tank’s all-time best investments.