Former UTampa student-athlete helping thousands of kids play sports with the right gear
UTampa alum helping youth get sports gear
In What’s Right with Tampa Bay, FOX 13’s Mark Wilson highlights an entrepreneur who turned an idea at the University of Tampa into a million-dollar company supplying youths with proper sports apparel.
TAMPA, Fla. - Dan Soviero was a student-athlete at the University of Tampa when he recognized a problem: youth sports teams struggled to find high-quality, affordable gear. So, he decided to do something about it.
"We’ve run an on-demand production to the youth sports market," said Soviero. "So we do uniforms and team stores on demand. So the store is open 24/7, 365."
That simple idea – giving teams easy access to custom gear – would become the foundation for Signature Locker, now a leader in youth sports apparel.
Pictured: Dan Soviero, founder of Signature Locker.
It all started at the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center at the Sykes College of Business at UTampa, where Soviero developed his business plan, learned the ropes of entrepreneurship, and found mentors who helped turn his vision into reality.
"This center is a space for students and individuals from the community and alumni to build businesses while they’re studying entrepreneurship," said Rebecca White with the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center. "We had about 50 students, and now we regularly have 500 or 600 a year that are involved in what we're doing."
With guidance from the program, Soviero took his idea from a college project to a thriving company that will outfit more than 250,000 athletes this year alone. His goal, though, is 1 million.
Signature Locker will outfit more than 250,000 athletes this year alone.
"And that is 100% credit to learning how to think and learning how to build something the right way," said Soviero. "Through this entrepreneurial program."
His success has earned him national recognition, most recently a feature in the Tampa Bay Business Journal highlighting Signature Locker’s explosive growth. But Soviero says it’s not just about revenue, it’s about impact.
"If it was just about the money, I would have quit 100% because the money wouldn’t be worth the pain that you go through to really serve a community and really solve a big problem in a market and build a business around it," Soviero explained.
Pictured: Rebecca White, John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center.
From outfitting teams to inspiring young athletes, Soviero’s mission is simple: give every child a shot at success.
"You have a commitment to serve that community for some bigger reason than just the money," said Soviero. "Right. For me, it's my life which changed by sports. So I want to give that same experience to other people."
His story is a testament to what’s possible when young entrepreneurs are given the right tools and resources.
"We're just very proud of Dan and his whole team, and he's just one of thousands of students that come through here, you know, whose lives are affected, I think, by what the team here does," White said.
Soviero is not slowing down. As Signature Locker continues to grow, Soviero is expanding his impact not just in youth sports, but in mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Bryan Gray.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter