United States Naval Academy · 2011
I earned a Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in 2011.
Brag Sheet / Earned, built, still building
I did not come this far to make myself small.
This is my record in plain language: the Academy, the Navy, the businesses, the numbers, the wins, the shutdowns, the rebuilds, and what I am still building now.
Naval Academy / Achievements + awards
The Academy changed the direction of my life.
I learned to think in systems, compete under pressure, teach what I knew, and keep going when the standard was unforgiving.
Bluebot: My solo Computer Engineering senior design
In 2011, I built Bluebot, a Bluetooth-controlled, semi-autonomous robot with touch, voice, and accelerometer control; multiple-device pairing; sonar obstacle avoidance; servo-driven, zero-turn omni wheels; an onboard microprocessor; a Java smartphone interface; and C++ control logic. It earned my highest Academy project grade.
Number 18: Navy sprint-football defensive back
I joined Navy’s sprint-football team as a freshman defensive back.
Competitive Navy boxing
I boxed from sophomore through senior year, moving from the 135-pound class to 153 pounds.
Approximately six months: Boxing instructor for midshipmen
Immediately after commissioning, I spent approximately six months teaching boxing to midshipmen at the Academy.
Business / Yoshi’s Tronics
I built it from home, scaled it, rebuilt it, and expanded.
The online home-office origin, Virginia retail growth, Quad Cities rebuild, and San Antonio expansion all belong to the same record.
2013: Yoshi’s Tronics started online from my home office
I started from my Norfolk home office, buying electronics on Craigslist and reselling them on eBay exactly as I found them—without repairs or modifications. The first Yoshi’s Tronics operation was completely online.
The original LLC still carries my online business
Yoshi’s Tronics LLC remains the entity I use for online commerce, including eBay and PayPal.
15 to 25: Electronics shipped every day
Within the first three months, I was shipping 15 to 25 electronics orders a day.
Three kiosks to first storefront: Three kiosks to my first storefront
Within twelve months, I opened kiosks at MacArthur Center, Patrick Henry Mall, and Lynnhaven Mall. Within two years of starting, I closed the kiosks and opened my first bona fide storefront in Ocean View, Norfolk.
$30,000 to $60,000 per month: Combined storefront revenue doubled
The Norfolk store averaged about $30,000 a month. After I added the Hampton store at Peninsula Town Center, the two stores averaged about $60,000 a month together.
February 7, 2015: My first federal trademark filing
I filed my first federal application for the YOSHIS TRONICS design mark while building the Virginia operation.
More than 1.2 million dollars: Annual Tronics revenue by 2015
By 2015, the broader retail and online Yoshi’s Tronics operation generated more than $1.2 million in annual revenue.
2016: My first international store
I opened Yoshi’s Tronics in Subic, Zambales, Philippines—the first international store in the company’s history.
2018, within three months: From a Quad Cities kiosk to an inline store
While on bond and wearing an ankle monitor, I restarted Yoshi’s Tronics QC at a NorthPark Mall kiosk in May 2018 and moved into a full inline store within three months.
$63,583 to $88,859: Three consecutive quarters rose
Quarterly revenue moved from $63,583 to $79,058 to $88,859 during the Quad Cities rebuild.
Eight: People on the team by April 2020
The rebuilt Yoshi’s Tronics grew into an eight-person operation.
The Quad Cities store made local television
KWQC documented the NorthPark Mall store’s electronics sales, repairs, recycling, affordable phones, and warranties.
San Antonio / Second market
I brought Yoshi’s Tronics to San Antonio.
I chose the market from the numbers, arrived without a network, and built a new operating chapter from the ground up.
Two markets: I expanded into San Antonio without a local network
I selected San Antonio from its demographics, not an existing network. I moved into the city without a single local contact and built the second customer-facing Yoshi’s Tronics market from the ground up.
Seven malls in three days: I canvassed the market before I committed
On a three-day canvassing trip, I evaluated all seven major malls in the area, applied for a lease at Ingram Park Mall, and secured approval for the location.
Under thirty days, eleven months: I built the store while living in Airbnb housing
After approval, I flew back to San Antonio, moved into an Airbnb, and completed the store buildout in under 30 days. I stayed in Airbnb housing for my first 11 months in the city.
June 1, 2025: The San Antonio store opened at Ingram Park Mall
I opened Yoshi’s Tronics San Antonio on June 1, 2025, with Marcel Evans as my portfolio manager. The store anchors repair, resale, recycling, and gaming in our second market.
$5,000 to $25,000–$30,000 per month: First-month revenue became a year-one average
With portfolio manager Marcel Evans, I grew San Antonio from $5,000 in its first month to an average of $25,000–$30,000 per month one year later.
2,580 followers: The San Antonio brand built a visible following
By August 21, 2026, @yoshistronicssanantonio had 2,580 public followers. We built Yoshi’s Tronics into one of the city’s most recognizable independent electronics brands.
Business / Yoshi’s Place
The first stay began while I was rebuilding my own life.
I started with one East Moline apartment, gave guests the space even when it cost me comfort, and turned the model into a larger hospitality business.
2018: My first Airbnb began in East Moline
After my release, I started hosting from the Archer Drive Townhomes apartment where my mother and I lived.
$550 monthly rent to approximately $75 to $100 a day: The first apartment proved the model
I paid $550 a month in rent and generated roughly $75 to $100 a day at approximately 80 to 100 percent occupancy.
I gave the guest the bed
When the apartment booked, I stayed with friends or family—and sometimes slept in my car—so I could keep the room earning while I rebuilt.
2011 to 2019: My Virginia home became a stay
I bought my Virginia home in 2011 and began using it for Airbnb hosting in 2019.
October 2019: The earliest reviewed Airbnb earnings statement
The statement documents paid Virginia activity under a Luxury Smart Home listing beginning in October 2019.
YOSHIS PLACE LLC organized
I formally organized YOSHIS PLACE LLC in Iowa on July 2, 2020.
Four live pages: Public Airbnb listing pages
Guests could open four Yoshi’s Place pages and check dates when I reviewed the public inventory.
San Antonio house
I acquired the San Antonio house and entered the municipal short-term-rental application process.
San Antonio condo expansion
I am building the next hospitality chapter through the acquired house and a planned condo path.
Business / Yoshi’s Island
I turned a property into a recreation concept with its own identity.
Acquisition, mini golf, whole-property rentals, public meetings, and the 2024 operating chapter are stated separately so the record stays clear.
August 2023: I acquired the property
I acquired the property that became Yoshi’s Island.
18 holes: Mini golf, games, and whole-property rentals
I built the concept around family recreation by day and private group experiences at night.
Nine months: The 2024 operating chapter
I operated Yoshi’s Island for nine months in 2024.
The current boundary
I am preserving what I built without presenting Yoshi’s Island here as a currently confirmed public operation.
Sources
The supporting record stays available without talking over the achievement.
Public records, independent coverage, platform pages, and selected private materials each support only what they actually establish.
Source methodology + notesSee the public sources and selected private records used across the site.Open the source sheet Full business historiesRead the longer operating chapters, current-stay access, and San Antonio buildout.Read the business record Press kitUse the approved biography, facts, speaking themes, and contact path.Open the press kit
My Story / Behind the record
The wins are real. So is what it took to survive long enough to build them.
The Brag Sheet shows what I earned, built, defended, and am building next. My Story tells you what a credential list cannot: the trailer, the fights, the Academy, the cage, PTSD, fatherhood, public judgment, and the decision to keep building without apology.
Read My Story in my own words