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The Underdog: From Life Changing Accident to $100M/Year | Starter Story

September 30, 2025

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5 min read

The Underdog: From Life-Changing Accident to $100M/Year

The Accident That Changed Everything

When Ryan Chen was 19 years old, he went off a jump at a friend's birthday party in Big Bear, California, overrotated, landed on his back, shattered his spine, and was paralyzed instantly. He spent six months in the hospital, then returned to school part-time while doing rehab. The following year or two involved serious depression and questioning whether life was worth living. What pulled him through was his support system — parents, sister, and friends who didn't push but simply stayed present. One friend told him: "You're still the same guy, but now you're just in the chair chilling." That reframing stuck.

The Idea That Almost Didn't Happen

Ryan met his future co-founder Kent on the first day of college. They bonded over fitness — Ryan was training for the Paralympic team, Kent was training with the Olympic Judo team in Japan. Both were taking experimental pills during training for energy and focus, mixing powders in Kent's dorm room and constantly tweaking formulas. They weren't thinking about business.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:33) **Life-Changing Accident and Rock Bottom** - Ryan Chen describes being paralyzed at age 19 after a snowboarding accident, leading to depression and questioning his will to live.
  • 2 (04:58) **The Origin of NeuroGum** - Ryan and his best friend Kent, both fitness-obsessed, experiment with homemade energy pills in Kent's dorm room.
  • 3 (06:48) **Going All In: Quitting Jobs and Cashing Out 401k** - Ryan and Kent take huge personal financial risks to fund the initial R&D for NeuroGum.
  • 4 (08:08) **Crowdfunding and Early Traction** - The IndieGogo campaign raises $30k in days, leading to a Time magazine article and an appearance on Dr. Oz.
  • 5 (10:38) **The Grind: From Apartment to $750k** - Ryan and Kent operate out of Kent's apartment, shipping 4,000 pounds of gum daily while working day jobs.
  • 6 (12:47) **Shark Tank and a Trademark Lawsuit** - A Shark Tank appearance leads to a step-change in growth, but also attracts a trademark lawsuit that threatens to bankrupt the company.
  • 7 (14:10) **The Hail Mary: Daniel Lubetzky Saves the Business** - Ryan DMs Shark Tank guest judge Daniel Lubetzky for help with the lawsuit, and Lubetzky backs their legal defense.

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Guests on this episode

Ryan Chen

Show Notes

The Underdog: From Life Changing Accident to $100M/Year

This is the true story of how Ryan Chen and Kent Yoshimura overcame the odds and built a $100M company called NeuroGum.

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Follow Ryan and Kent's Journey Ryan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/ryan.ryc/ Kent's IG: https://www.instagram.com/kentaro/ NueroGum: https://www.instagram.com/neurogum/

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