gener8tor Founder Series: Matt Stang from Swannies
In this installment of the gener8tor Founder Series, we sit down with Matt Stang, co-founder of Swannies Golf Apparel, a fast-growing golf lifestyle brand redefining the course-to-clubhouse apparel game. From humble beginnings to outfitting some of the most iconic golf courses in the world, Matt shares the decade-long journey of building Swannies into a $30 million business rooted in the Twin Cities.
From Idea to Impact: The Origin of Swannies
Founded in 2015 by Matt Stang and his co-founder Adam Iversen, Swannies began as a passion project for two friends who saw an opportunity to modernize golf apparel. What started with local sales around Minnesota has since exploded into a brand that now operates out of a 35,000-square-foot warehouse, with a team of 90 employees, including 65 full-time staff. Headquartered in the Twin Cities, the company has deep roots in the region and credits much of its early traction to the strength of its local network.
Scaling Up: From $1M to $30M
Swannies’ growth story is nothing short of remarkable. “It took us five years to reach $1 million in sales, and in the following five, we grew that to nearly $30 million,” Matt shared. Their business model—focused primarily on B2B sales to golf courses and retailers—has allowed them to expand rapidly across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, boasting an impressive 40% year-over-year growth.
A Foundation Built at gener8tor
Swannies joined gener8tor’s Minnesota accelerator program in 2017, at a pivotal point in their journey. Matt reflected on the experience as transformational: “It helped us build the foundational elements of our business that enabled us to scale,” he said. As a brand rooted in physical products and brand development, gener8tor connected them with advisors and mentors who helped them move beyond just sales and customer acquisition into building a scalable business infrastructure.
Matt credits Eric Martell, their program director and now founder of Pair Commerce, as a particularly impactful mentor, along with another cohort company that led to an important investor relationship. “Not many people were eager to invest in an apparel brand at the time,” Matt noted, making those early connections all the more valuable.
Advice to Founders: Embrace the Unknown
Matt’s advice to founders considering an accelerator? Embrace the discomfort. “I’m more introverted, and Adam’s more extroverted. Jumping into an accelerator was a stretch for me, but it paid off. The feedback from peers and mentors—people who’ve walked this path before—is invaluable,” he said.
He also emphasized the value of maintaining communication and transparency with stakeholders: “We send objective, quarterly updates, and it's one of the best habits we’ve developed. It keeps us connected to our network and creates our own luck.”
Building Beyond the Founders
Now operating at scale, Swannies is focused on a new challenge: transitioning decision-making authority away from the founders. “We’re actively building and training a layer of management to carry the brand forward,” Matt explained. He’s looking to connect with others who’ve successfully navigated this leadership evolution—especially at the $20M–$30M inflection point.
Big Wins and Bigger Dreams
In recent years, Swannies has secured partnerships with legendary courses like Pebble Beach and St. Andrews, as well as major retailers including Scheels and Academy Sports + Outdoors. While they’re not actively chasing one specific partner right now, they remain open to new opportunities across the golfing and apparel landscapes.
And a pro tip from gener8tor: we love Swannies gear so much, we’ve used it for custom corporate apparel—everything from polos to hats—and they’ve been a hit.
How You Can Help
Matt's ask of the gener8tor network: Advice and mentorship on scaling leadership teams. If you've navigated the journey from founder-led to management-led operations, Matt would love to hear from you.
