Troy Swope
Footprint
Gilbert, AZ USA
"Listen to your heart. Listen to your gut. Keep pushing."
Career Roadmap
Troy's work combines: Business, Technology, and Problem Solving
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
When I started thinking about leaving Intel to start a company and pursue my vision, I sought advice from mentors. Four out of five questioned my choice. I had a great job and loved working at Intel, so I saw where they were coming from. I asked myself if I would regret not pursuing this other path if I stayed at Intel. Ultimately, what gave me the most confidence to make the decision was the team members I had around me. My co-founder gave me the confidence to say, "Let's go do this."
Here's the path I took:
High School
Life & Career Milestones
I've taken a lot of twists and turns
1.
I played football in school and had the mindset that I was there to play sports rather than focus on academics.
2.
I got the opportunity to do an internship with Intel and loved it—I was really drawn in by the competitive culture and the energy that stemmed from leading the computer revolution.
3.
I spent seven years in research and development at Intel and then eight years running a materials organization.
4.
After realizing that shipping Intel’s products was contaminating them with plastic, I started getting concerned about all of the other products—like food—that could be contaminated.
5.
I started bringing food products into Intel for testing—everything that we tested was contaminated with plastic.
6.
My business partner and I eventually founded Footprint, which is focused on designing, developing, and manufacturing alternative, healthier solutions to plastic.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
Why would you want to leave Intel? You shouldn't risk it.
How I responded:
When I started thinking about leaving Intel to start a company and pursue my vision, I sought advice from mentors. Four out of five questioned my choice. I had a great job and loved working at Intel, so I saw where they were coming from. I asked myself if I would regret not pursuing this other path if I stayed at Intel. Ultimately, what gave me the most confidence to make the decision was the team members I had around me. My co-founder gave me the confidence to say, "Let's go do this."