Dreams can stay on the track. Or they can turn into something you stand on every day.
Hazem and Mack speak with Tyler Strothman, collegiate distance runner and founder of Veloci, a performance running shoe company he started while at Rice University. Tyler shares how small town miles, sport management classes, and a simple desire to keep people comfortable and pain free led him to launch a brand focused on helping runners and everyday athletes stay active longer.

Learn more about Veloci (https://velocirunning.com/)

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Key Takeaways

1. Tyler built Veloci out of his own life in running, treating the brand as a way to give back to the sport and community that shaped him, not just a way to sell product.

2. He chose Rice during COVID without visiting campus, moved to Houston sight unseen, and used the university’s sport management and entrepreneurship ecosystem as a launchpad for the company.

3. Veloci started in January 2025 with one model and two colors, then expanded into a stability version for overpronators and is now adding a faster “super trainer” so runners can match shoes to different training days.

4. The core of the brand is comfort and longevity: Tyler talks about reducing pain, extending the life of healthy miles, and designing for both serious runners and everyday wear.

5. Instead of waiting for a perfect path, Tyler treated Veloci as his real world business education, learning through customers, product iterations, and the discipline of shipping something new.

Timestamped Overview

00:01 Hazem introduces Tyler Strothman and Veloci, setting up a conversation about a college runner who started his own performance footwear company.

01:00 Tyler explains what Veloci does and who he designs for, from serious runners to people who just want all day comfort in a running shoe.

03:20 He shares how growing up on farms and country roads in Wisconsin and Indiana led to a love of running, team culture, and pushing himself.

06:10 Tyler talks about deciding to attend Rice during COVID, choosing the school based on calls with coaches and teammates and moving to Houston without a prior visit.

08:20 He describes majoring in sport management, loading up on business and entrepreneurship classes, and seeing Rice as a launchpad for doing real work in the world.

11:15 Veloci’s launch story in January 2025: starting with one shoe and two colorways, chosen in part by counting what colors students wore into the campus gym.

13:10 Expansion into a “sister” stability shoe for overpronators and the decision to build a faster “super trainer” so runners can match shoes to different training days.

15:15 A practical look at shoe lifespan, why most people should think about replacing running shoes around 300 to 400 miles, and how wear patterns differ by stride.

18:00 Tyler reflects on seeing Veloci shoes on more feet and how customer feedback shapes decisions about new models and colorways.

20:00 Hazem and Mack talk about Tyler’s passion, why this is not just about making money, and how his focus is on solving a real problem for active people.

22:00 Tyler shares what he has learned so far about product design, manufacturing, and balancing performance with comfort and durability.

24:00 Conversation turns to the realities of being a young founder, including juggling training, classes, and startup demands, and what sacrifices that requires.

26:00 Tyler talks about what keeps him motivated on hard days and how he measures success beyond sales numbers.

28:00 Hazem and Mack offer closing encouragement, tying Tyler’s story back to Houston’s entrepreneurial spirit and the kind of founders Integrity Bank wants to support.

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