Reflections Magazine Issue #64 - Spring 2006 | Page 13

Feature Article

At age 20, Khedaywi runs his
own company while tackling
full course load at SHU

A

Student
CEO

Anthony Khedaywi has come up with what he thinks is a foolproof business
idea. Actually, it is more like a waterproof one.

The Siena Heights University student is developing a line of waterproof backpacks drawing national interest, including from the U.S. military. In fact, the
20-year-old has been the CEO of his own company, Khedaywi, Inc., for more
than a year while still finding time to be a full time college student. He said
his entrepreneurial spark was first lit while a student at nearby Onsted High
School.

He and high school friend Nate Coats were tinkering with a roll of duct tape
one day when they made a purse out of the metallic-looking stuff. Their creation
was a hit at school, and soon they were crafting other items from duct tape. In
fact, Khedaywi crafted a duct tape tuxedo and was a hit at his high school prom
wearing the one-of-a-kind design.
However, the duct tape business didn’t stick, and Khedaywi was again searching
for a unique product he could mass produce.
While researching various markets, he said the idea of a waterproof backpack
came to mind. He asked one of his business contacts if there was such a product
on the market, and was surprised at the answer.
“I did some more research, and there wasn’t anything like this, ever,”
Khedaywi said.
He and Coats, now his business partner, quickly went to work on a design.
After creating his business in March 2005, Khedaywi took his invention to
the world’s largest outdoor retailer show in Salt Lake City, Utah. At his display
was a tank filled with 120 gallons of water. A waterproof backpack filled with
rocks was submerged in the water for 85 consecutive hours – without a drop
seeping in.
“It was pretty much an eye-catcher,” Khedaywi said of the display. “We were
way in the back (of the trade show), but yet we still had tons of people coming
to our booth and checking us out.”
The backpacks are similar in appearance to a traditional backpack, but the
fabrication process is much different. Khedaywi said only urethane-coated or
laminated materials are used, not the traditional vinyl. A special welding process
gives the backpack its waterproof quality.
“It’s not like a weld that people are familiar with,” Khedaywi explained. “It’s
about the strongest thing you can do.”
The ultrasonic welding works by vibration, heating the materials together to
form a strong bond. Other processes includes hot air and radio frequency welding. He said the welding process is far superior to any stitching.

“If they want something done, we will make it for them,” he said.
He said there are also plenty of potential civilian applications for his backpacks.
One promising market is the fast-growing sport of canyoneering. Popular in
places like Utah and Europe, canyoneering has people descending into narrow,
deep canyons. Because dangerous flash floods can sometimes quickly fill the
canyons, Khedaywi said the backpacks can operate as a floatation device.
One backpack prototype includes a self-contained compartment for MP3
music players. The MP3 device can be placed in a watertight partition, and the
headphone outlet can actually be plugged into the backpack – and it’s completely waterproof, Khedaywi said.
One major obstacle is finding a manufacturer for his backpacks. He first investigated China, but mainly because of quality issues, that option did not materialize. He is currently looking at manufacturers in the U.S., and finding one here
would allow him more oversight and control of the process.
“When you are doing something waterproof, you can’t fudge on (quality),”
he said.
Khedaywi transferred to Siena Heights from Western Michigan University
to focus more on his business, which he runs primarily out of his parents’
Onsted home.
“I’m in my room most of the time, which is my office,” he said.
The business major is currently taking 18 credit hours, and is trying to graduate
a year early.
“I take a little bit of everything,” said Khedaywi, who is particularly interested
in his computer class at SHU. “Being the CEO of a company, I have to know a
little bit about everything. … I like the atmosphere over here (at Siena Heights).
I’d taken classes in my senior year (in high school), and I enjoyed it. I liked the
atmosphere. That was a huge part (of attending Siena).”
Khedaywi is hoping to have his backpacks in production later this year. However, he has no plans to revisit his duct tape fashion line.
“I still have one,” Khedaywi of his duct tape tuxedo. “I probably won’t wear it.
It doesn’t breathe very well.” u

“With your needle, what you are doing is you are poking millions of little
holes in it,” Khedaywi said of the stitching process. “With (welding), you are
basically combining the two materials. It’s very, very strong. And it will last a
lot longer, too.”
While several representatives in the outdoor industry have expressed interest in
Khedaywi’s backpack, he said he is currently targeting a more specific market
– the U.S. military. He said he is in contact with representatives from the Special Forces, and hopes to one day supply operations such as the Navy SEALs,
Army Rangers and the Green Berets with the multi-purpose backpacks.
Reflections Spring ’06—The Artman Imprint

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