The Gear2Go Experiment

2020 - 2022

A peer-to-peer rental platform born from friendship, service, and a shared dream of building connected communities.

Our Story

Gear2Go began as a dream shared between MBA students and coding bootcamp graduates—friends from different walks of life united by a common vision. While some of us were navigating the halls of business school, others were transitioning careers and learning to code.

We imagined a world where your neighbor's camping gear didn't sit idle in a garage, where someone curious about kayaking didn't need to spend hundreds of dollars to try it, and where communities were strengthened through the simple act of sharing.

Was it a mess? Absolutely. But we learned so much—about building software, about entrepreneurship, about ourselves. And we're proud of what we created together.

What We Believed In

🤝

Community

By connecting like-minded neighbors, we hoped to create enduring bonds that outlast transactional relationships. Shared interests build connections.

🔓

Affordability & Access

We believed money should never prove an insurmountable barrier for achieving your goals—whether it be kayaking or woodworking.

🌱

Sustainability

By promoting a "rent first" mentality, we believed Gear2Go could take a lasting step towards creating a more sustainable economy.

Where We Launched

We tested Gear2Go in three unique communities, each bringing their own character to the platform:

🎓

Stanford University

🎸

Nashville

🌉

Bay Area

What We Built

🔍

Search & Discovery

Find gear by category, location, or keyword

📍

Location-Based

Connect with lenders in your community

💬

Messaging

Direct communication between renters and lenders

Reviews & Ratings

Build trust through community feedback

💳

Secure Payments

Safe transactions through our platform

📱

Mobile-Friendly

Rent and lend gear from anywhere

The Team Behind Gear2Go

Four friends—two entrepreneurs pursuing their MBAs and two developers fresh out of coding bootcamp—came together to build something meaningful.

S

Steven

Co-Founder

MBA student turned entrepreneur. A veteran with a passion for building things—both with code and power tools.

G

Gavin

Co-Founder

A veteran and outdoorsman at heart who loves skiing, climbing, and camping. Dreamed up Gear2Go while figuring out how to better connect with his community.

J

Jeremy

Developer

Full-stack developer and coding instructor. When not writing code, you can find him climbing, running trails, or paddling a kayak.

M

Matt

Developer

Career changer who found his calling in software development. Passionate about fitness, music, and helping others learn to code.

What We Learned

"The journey of building Gear2Go taught us more than any classroom ever could. We learned to ship imperfect code, to listen to users, to pivot when needed, and most importantly—to support each other through the chaos of startup life."
  • Building a two-sided marketplace is hard
  • Community trust takes time to establish
  • The best ideas come from personal pain points (like Gavin's many Army moves)
  • Friendship can survive co-founding a startup
  • Sometimes the journey matters more than the destination