Charles Cannon

Charles Cannon, better known as Charlie Cannon, is a young entrepreneur in the action sports industry through his innovative startup business, VibeRide. This company reimagined skateboarding by implementing a brake system for different boards, being longboards and skateboards. Before inventing VibeRide, Charlie produced captivating ski content as a teenager, working with J Skis. In 2020, he launched EXO Drones, a drone company that resells and rebrands drones manufactured by them by partners like Hubsan, primarily in China. EXO Drones soared to over $15 million in revenue before Charlie sold the company in 2022. Not long after he sold the drone business, Charlie, being the great entrepreneur he is today, noticed a problem in skateboards and longboards: serious injuries, resulting from not having a brake system on their boards. So he teamed up with co-founders Carson Macdonald and Chris Goodhue to address this longstanding issue in skateboarding. The three friends acquired existing patents and then redesigned the technology to create VibeRide’s signature brake-equipped longboard. This allowed riders to stop with a hand-lever instead of dragging their foot on pavement—a method that has been the norm for decades. Not only does it prevent serious injuries, but it is such an easier and smoother way than stopping the ride with their foot. Charlie invested over $1.2 million of his own money into the company, including $450,000 just to secure the patents, showing an uncommon level of commitment and belief in the product. This idea was so innovative that Charlie got it on Season 15 of Shark Tank, where Mark Cuban offered $250,000 for a 12% stake in the business—a deal Charlie and his co-founders accepted. With plans to expand the VibeRide lineup to include electric boards, cruisers, and potentially even scooters, Charlie is positioning himself as a visionary building a broader lifestyle brand in vehicles. Charlie brings a digital-native mindset to the brand, leveraging his understanding of content and branding to connect with younger consumers and action sports enthusiasts online. Charles Cannon is an amazing example of a young entrepreneur who does things his own way and is shaping the action sports world.