MBA student creates luminescent sweatshirts

What do Grouplove, T-Pain and Juan Pablo from ABC’s The Bachelor have in common?

They all were spotted in hooded sweatshirts with luminescent edges made by electricMVMT, a company co-founded by a Wharton MBA student.

Scott Lehman, a second-year Wharton MBA student, co-founded the company last fall. Shaun Bluethenthal — another co-founder who is currently running electricMVMT in North Carolina — originally made the hoodies for friends. He and Lehman wore the luminescent hoodies in different colors to a concert and other concert-goers expressed interest in them. This prompted Lehman to think of starting a business.

Bluethenthal and Lehman first attempted to manufacture the clothes by themselves with light-emitting chemicals and wires, but they had trouble connecting the wires to the hoodies. They then found a partner who has factories in China. Currently, the company has three factories in China and El Salvador for mass production and in North Carolina for sampling works.

Coming up with an appropriate name was another challenge. Lehman had several ideas including “neon codes,” and “night owl initiative,” but decided on electricMVMT after receiving help from logotournament.com, a website for logo and name creation.

ElectricMVMT has several marketing strategies to “hit people from multiple directions.” They post targeted advertisements on Facebook and reach out to potential customers in person by wearing the hoodies at concerts.

“He really focused [not just on] marketing, but also on [the product] as well to make sure of its quality,” said Ashish Patil, a master’s student in Wharton and Engineering who helped Lehman hold a promotional party.

Bluethenthal and Lehman also sell electricMVMT on Fab.com, an online shopping site with two million users.

ElectricMVMT appeal lies in its “uniqueness,” Lehman said. “People want to stand out and to be seen.”

Lehman also discussed how the community of people he met at Wharton has helped him advance the company. “It’s the students that made the biggest impact,” he said.

Through an MBA student, Lehman contacted the drummer of the band Grouplove, whose members now wear the hoodies.

The company sells its products on six continents, approaching approximately 7,000 sales.

This year, electricMVMT will release new products, work to make the hoodies easier to clean and hire staff. Lehman has other product ideas as well, such as clothes for athletes who exercise at night.

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