28 | LEHIGH ALUMNI BULLETIN | FROM THE NEST STUDENT-ATHLETE PROFILE A Leg Up on the Competition Showing interest in entrepreneurship at a young age, Canaan Kimball ’26, a kicker on Lehigh’s football team, already runs two businesses. during his senior year. He researched the Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE) program and felt it was a perfect fit. “It’s rare to find this combo, football at a high level at a school that offers such a great academic opportunity, and I was all for it,” Kimball said. Kimball didn’t know what entrepreneurship was as a kid, he said, but looking back, realizes he was obsessed with it. He credits his parents with his work ethic, which comes from both his stay-at-home mom, who “sacrificed so much to be sure I had the chance to chase my dreams,” and his father, a pastor and football coach, who sometimes worked side jobs to provide for the family. Lehigh football helped reinforce his already strong business acumen. “I have learned so much from watching our coaches—how they treated us and created a real team. We’re so close, and we always pull together. It’s actually taught me a lot about how to lead a business, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said. Double Duty Kimball is earning degrees in IBE and mechanical engineering and was awarded the Leonard P. Pool Memorial Prize in 2024 for his entrepreneurial talents. In his free time, he works with Stoke Ventures, a product development firm, where he provides support for marketing, mechanical engineering and operational processes. He has also founded Deal and Dink and co-founded Screenwise Eating, LLC. Screenwise Eating, LLC helps kids with eating challenges through a system of progressive rewards. “Our approach combines behavioral therapy with engaging technology, so children can develop healthier eating habits and meal structure,” he said. When Eric Markovcy, Lehigh’s director of sports performance, came to Kimball with the idea, he jumped on it. “Eric’s son, Ryan, was a micro- preemie, weighing only one and a half pounds,” Kimball explained. “As he grew, they tried everything to get him to eat, but it was tough.” The Markovcys instituted a system At 7 years old, most kids are working on their basic math skills, have just shed the training wheels on their bikes and are starting to play video games. Canaan Kimball ’26 was busy launching his first business. While also playing football—he strapped on a helmet for the first time in kindergarten—Kimball created childhood “innovation notebooks” and began his entrepreneurial pursuits. From lemonade stands to odd jobs for his neighbors, Kimball started on a path that eventually led him to Lehigh, where he’s also a kicker on the football team. Now he’s preparing for a dream career as a full-time entrepreneur. Creative and Competitive Drive At Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, Florida, Kimball wasn’t aware of Lehigh University until one of the university’s football coaches visited him
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