Strings of Success: Josh Pantaloni's Journey Across Tennis Courts and Business School
Written by Sofiia Mikadze, '24
Josh Pantaloni's diverse background and exposure to his parents' work ethic set the stage for his entrepreneurial spirit. His mother, hailing from France, works in the insurance industry, while his father owns a carpentry business. The business genes and commitment to hard work passed down from his parents sowed the seeds of ambition in Pantaloni's mind.
His entrepreneurial journey began on the sandy shores of Topsail, where Pantaloni turned shark teeth into necklaces and sold them. As he progressed through grade school, he ventured into candy, shoes, and collectible card reselling.
The trajectory of his ventures reached a crescendo when he found himself working at a tennis club, offering tennis lessons, and eventually specializing in racket restringing, in which he found his specialty.
His passion for tennis led him to spend summers on the court, imparting lessons, volunteering for high school team practices, and professionally restringing rackets. "I bought a machine to do it," he said, recalling when his entrepreneurial spirit found a niche within the tennis community.
However, the summer before his junior year brought a unique twist to Pantaloni's story. He embarked on a journey to his mother's homeland, where familial ties rekindled, and he attended his aunt's wedding in Paris. This trip not only strengthened his connection with his roots but also laid the groundwork for his future adventures.
The day after returning from Paris, Pantaloni dove into a summer internship at Red Line Controls, a manufacturing industrial company specializing in industrial data. His role as a Business Process Analyst involved deciphering complex engineering processes, coding, and manufacturing end-products. The autonomy and freedom to experiment with new ideas allowed him to thrive in this real-world setting.
The internship served as a bridge between his Finance and Business Analytics concentrations and the practical application of business processes. He plans to expand on his coursework through a study abroad semester in Paris next year, where he will delve into French courses and explore the European business world.
As he eagerly awaits responses from summer internship applications, Pantaloni remains open-minded about his post-graduation plans. "I'm not set on anything," he admits, "I want to try different things and see what I like the most." His pursuit of diverse experiences extends beyond the professional realm. In his free time, which he admits is quite limited, he continues to indulge in his love for tennis on the Richmond club team and recently embraced the sport of pickleball. “I also enjoy watching movies with my friends,” he says.
For Pantaloni, the entrepreneurial spirit is a dynamic force that propels him through a journey of discovery, blending business acumen with a global perspective. As he awaits the next chapter, one can't help but wonder what new ventures lie on the horizon for this business mastermind.