CEO Swim Series: SwimSmart Entrepreneurs Explain Their Success

SwimSmart (https://www.swimsmarttoday.com) co-founders Karl Hamouche and Mike Peterson drop-in on the SwimSwam Podcast explaining how they’ve flexed their entrepreneurial muscle, building one of the fastest growing companies in our sport.

Karl Hamouche is the founder of Swim Smart and co-inventor of the Squeezline. He moved to Iowa from Lebanon when he was 12 years old, joined the local swim team, and instantly was part of a family in a place 8,000 miles away from home. Years later, he ended up coaching for that same team, expanding it by starting a new satellite, and helping them win their first club state title.

Karl studied biology and exercise science at Iowa State University and received his medical degree at the University of Iowa. With his coaching and swimming background, Karl is the intersection of theory and practice, the book and the real world.

Karl still swims almost everyday and competes multiple times a year. His daily interaction with the water gives him new ideas and insights into how we can all help to improve our swimming.

Michael Peterson is currently the head coach of ACAC in Iowa, and prior to that he was the top assistant coach with the Colorado Stars.  While with the Stars he helped in the development of Olympic Gold Medalist Missy Franklin and Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce.  As the head age group coach Michael was a major contributor to the Colorado Stars winning 6 consecutive Colorado state titles and 2 Junior National Championship team titles.

As an athlete, Michael was a standout prep swimmer at Ames High School where he earned 9 high school All-American certificates. He continued his swimming career at the Denver University where he not only served as team captain, but also set 4 school records.