“You are the most qualified person to help the person you used to be.” This belief is the foundation of InPaceline, a venture studio model built by Clay Banks, a serial entrepreneur, mentor, investor, and endurance athlete. After years of scaling mountains – both literal and entrepreneurial – Banks is committed to riding alongside founders, helping them navigate the same challenges he once faced.
In cycling, drafting allows riders to take turns breaking the wind, conserving energy for the group and enabling the entire team to reach their destination faster. In business, the same principle applies: strategic alignment and collective momentum drive innovation and growth faster.
From Startup Scrappy to Scalable Success
Banks’ journey is one of resilience, vision, and relentless execution. His entrepreneurial path includes launching 8 start-up companies, appearing on Shark Tank Season 10, being featured in Inc Magazine, Forbes, and Entrepreneur, raising over $7M in capital, and ultimately achieving a successful exit. Early in his career, he experienced firsthand the struggle of bringing an idea to life – navigating engineering and manufacturing challenges, acquiring customers, finance hurdles and countless setbacks. It took five years to build his first company to $1M in sales. But with each venture, his expertise compounded. When launching GloriLight, a children’s nightlight Christian brand, he leveraged this experience to surpass $1M in less than 18 months.
Clay Banks holds three awarded patents, spanning innovations in hardware, software, and consumer electronics. Each patent represents his commitment to solving real-world problems – whether it’s improving user experiences or safety, enhancing product functionality, or streamlining complex processes. His approach to innovation is deeply rooted in identifying gaps in the market and engineering solutions that are not only effective but also scalable.
InPaceline was born out of this evolution, designed to accelerate the journey for today’s early-stage founders. Banks doesn’t just advise – he integrates deeply into the process, bridging strategy with execution. His model provides an online founder community called LUUM Ventures, hands-on coaching, network access, operational expertise, and, in some cases, investment funding. Helping founders avoid common pitfalls and scale with confidence.
What separates Clay from other investors and business coaches? Most people don’t want to be part of the process. They just want to be part of the outcome. But the process is where you figure out who is worth being part of the outcome.
Relentlessly pursue the art of the possible
One of the core philosophies of InPaceline is investing in people, not just their businesses. Banks thrives on working with founders who embody resilience and grit – qualities he recognizes from his own journey. Entrepreneurs like Nick Smith of Hauska.io and Greg Prosser of Hansel Medical remind him of the endurance and resiliency required to build something from nothing. “Their determination and problem-solving mindset are exactly what it takes to succeed,” he says.
At InPaceline, the focus is on helping these leaders turn their big visions into massive actions. Banks has developed a system that combines strategic storytelling, market positioning, and operational scaling – empowering founders with the tools and mindset needed to win.
Endurance as a Business Philosophy
Beyond business, Banks’ commitment to endurance sports reflects his approach to entrepreneurship. As a five-time Ironman and Ironman World Championship qualifier, he understands the discipline required to set goals and push limits. He has run the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim, a grueling 44-mile trek, which isn’t just about conquering the distance – it’s the countless daily training sessions, the early mornings, the disciplined nutrition, and the relentless consistency that make it possible; because the secret of your future is hidden in your routine.
“Success is about setting a vision, putting in the reps every day, and staying in the race no matter the setbacks,” Banks explains. This same endurance mindset drives his work with founders – helping them stay focused, iterate, and keep moving forward when obstacles arise.
The Future of InPaceline
Through InPaceline, Banks is building more than just companies; he’s creating a movement of founders who support each other and scale with intention. His website, www.inpaceline.com, reflects this mission, stating: “We help early-stage entrepreneurs move from concept to scale with the right mix of strategy, funding, and execution.”
For Banks, success isn’t just measured by exits or revenue – it’s measured by the impact he makes on the next generation of entrepreneurs. He’s not just watching from the sidelines; he’s in the saddle, helping founders climb their mountains, just as he once did.
Because in entrepreneurship, as in endurance sports, the real win is in the journey.
