San Diego has never been short on big ideas.
From surf innovations and activewear startups to fitness technology, outdoor recreation brands and wellness products, our region has built an international reputation around healthy living and entrepreneurial spirit. But while most founders know where to go for startup advice, many growing companies eventually hit a different challenge.
What happens when you’re no longer a startup, but you’re not quite where you want to be?
For more than a decade, San Diego Sports Innovators (SDSI) has been helping local businesses answer that question through its Walton Innovation Lab, a 20-week accelerator program designed specifically for companies in what SDSI calls “The San Diego Lifestyle Industry.”
The program isn’t for people with an idea scribbled on a napkin. It’s for businesses already operating, generating revenue and looking for a path to the next level.
The program is renamed after 14-year Board Chair and NBA Legend Bill Walton, who passed away two years ago and celebrates his philosophy, “The best way to get where you’re going is to ask someone on the way back,”.
That philosophy has become the foundation of a program that has quietly helped 168 companies grow, raise capital, create jobs and navigate the often-challenging transition from startup to scale-up.
Participants are paired with mentor teams made up of experienced founders, executives and industry leaders who provide hands-on guidance tailored to each company’s specific needs. Think of it as having your own board of advisers without having to build one from scratch.
The results speak for themselves.
Graduates of the Walton Innovation Lab have raised more than $90 million in capital, created more than 1,000 jobs, and achieved an 80% success rate. Along the way, SDSI mentors contribute roughly 800 hours of mentoring annually, with each company receiving an average of 80 hours of direct support.
Many of the success stories started right here in San Diego.
Parkit, a 2021 graduate, transformed a simple outdoor chair concept into a nationally recognized brand now found in major retailers. SurfDry, a 2025 graduate, is gaining attention across the surf industry for its innovative wetsuit-drying technology. GearHugger leveraged its eco-friendly lubricants and degreasers for distribution through major retailers, including Walmart, REI and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Other graduates include Active Skin Repair, CamerEye, ActivBody, Hookit and The Clubhouse, a sports training facility founded by former professional athletes that has quickly become a destination for hitters throughout East County.
What makes the Walton Innovation Lab particularly San Diego is the community behind it.
The program reflects the collaborative culture that has long defined the region’s business landscape. Founders aren’t simply completing a curriculum. They’re joining a larger community of brands, leaders, entrepreneurs and mentors who continue supporting alumni long after graduation. And have the larger mission to work together to move the industry towards its future.
Whether a company is preparing to raise investment capital, strengthen operations, sharpen its business strategy or build industry relationships, the program is designed to provide practical guidance from people who have already faced similar challenges.
For founders who sometimes feel like they’re figuring everything out alone, that kind of access can be transformative.
Applications for the next SDSI Walton Innovation Lab cohort are now open and will be accepted through Aug. 24.
If you’re building a company in sports, fitness, wellness, outdoor recreation, active-lifestyle products, or related industries, this may be the opportunity that changes the trajectory of your business.
Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t another product launch or marketing campaign.
Sometimes it’s getting the right people around the table.
To learn more or apply, visit sdsportinnovators.org/accelerator-program.
