Harrison Bramhall ’10 has been driven by a restless, creative spirit for most of his life. In fact, the recent Wheaton College alumnus (class of 2014) can recall telling his father from an early age that he wanted to be an entrepreneur when he grew up. Bramhall’s father, in turn, issued advice that has always stuck: “find a fundamental problem, and fix it.”
As a junior Economics major at Wheaton, that’s just what Bramhall and his friend Nishon Radhakrishnan (Wheaton class of 2015) set out to do. Having tossed around several business ideas while studying for a challenging computer science course, the two finally landed on a concept for stylish, yet affordable, sunglasses. “We’d each had the experience of purchasing sunglasses in the $150 range and then inadvertently losing or destroying them,” explains Bramhall.
Launched in June of 2013, Tints Sunglasses combine 100 percent bamboo sides with plastic or acetate lenses and retail for just $24.99 per pair. Radhakrishnan, now in his senior year at Wheaton, handles all sales, while Bramhall, who spends his days working as a commercial real estate analyst for STAG Industrial, focuses on company direction and marketing.
The knack for balancing a demanding full-time job with a fledgling entrepreneurial venture is something Bramhall says he owes to his four years at Trinity-Pawling. “What I found was a community of guys who wanted to do the right thing, plus a lot of structure, which was something I really needed,” he says. “Even now, when I am feeling my best and most productive, it’s because I am on a good schedule; that’s all stuff I got at T-P.”