Welcome to CHUTE! A Startup based out of Pittsburgh, PA that is focused on raising support and awareness for veterans across Western Pennsylvania by selling outdoors products derived exclusively from used military parachutes.

CHUTE is comprised of 4 Grove City College students with a passion for social entrepreneurship and supporting veterans…But more on that shortly.

From Idea to Business

Back in early 2017, Co-Founders Levi Roberts and Boyce Cubarney were up late working on classwork in their dorm room when out of nowhere Boyce turned to Levi and proclaimed, “What if we turned military parachutes into hammocks and supported veterans with the profits?”

And the idea of Chute was born.

In discussing this idea Boyce had the previous night, Co-Founder Stephen Weaver was immediately intrigued by the notion of assisting veterans financially and emotionally due to his uncle, who was a 101^st Airborne Army Ranger that was killed in action in Afganistan in 2010 by an IED.

“CHUTE started as many companies do, in a dorm room at two in the morning.” -Boyce Cubarney, Co Founder

As Steve put it “It’s a way for me to give respect back to him and then not only that but we see sort of a lack of awareness in kids our age and not to bash my own generation, but you don’t really think of veterans on a day-to-day scale, so we want to bring that awareness back to kids our age.”

Since then CHUTE has placed in multiple business competitions across PA, including startup weekend at Pittsburgh where CHUTE captured second place!

CHUTE has since gone on to develop drawstring bags made out of used military parachutes and incorporated paracord into the straps. After selling them to friends and family we decided to take it up a notch by hosting a veteran skydiving event in Grove City, PA. The event drew veterans in from across Mercer County where all of the founders (Boyce, Levi & Steve) jumped out of a plane with local Army veteran Louis Disanti during a free lunch and car show courtesy of Hovis Auto & Truck Supply.

“You just have to overcome the fear, get out there and do it.” -Louis Disanti, Local Airborne Veteran

After the success of the skydiving event, the CHUTE team decided to expand the product line from drawstring bags to bandanas as well as other outdoors products that fit with the brand message. CHUTE has also taken on an additional team member Michael Bonnett at the beginning of June, who has been focusing on the accounting and back-end logistics of CHUTE.

On July 17^th, CHUTE donated $500 to Brevard Memorial Veterans Center in Florida and has plans to partner with local Veteran support organizations in Western PA!