Sisters Lisa Karvellas and Stephanie Baynton had an enviable childhood. Growing up, they spent summers at a camp that their father owned in the Hudson Valley, just 90 minutes from New York City. At the time, it was a training facility for Olympic athletes and soccer players. Before that, it was Camp Minnisink, a summer retreat for city kids since the 1920s.
A little over 10 years ago, Karvellas and Baynton bought the property and transformed their childhood playground intoThen Covid hit, and everything came to a standstill. No more weddings, no corporate retreats. However, rather than shut down, they made a pivot.
Meet Karvellas and Baynton, who share their story about entrepreneurship, survival, pivoting—and creating an“The original property dates to 1929, when it was developed as Camp Minisink, a place for inner-city youth to enjoy summers outside of the city. This incredible Harlem-based camp ran for over 30 years and made a tremendous impact on generations of campers. Many of them still come up every year for reunions,” says Karvellas.
“In the last twelve years, this business has become our whole life,” says Karvellas. “There’s no separation between our life and our work. It means everything to us.”“There really is no shortcut to success. Hard work is the only way. Running a business requires a tremendous amount of sacrifice, and it’s especially challenging as working moms with young children,” says Karvellas. “But it’s well worth it.
“We spent the first five years thinking that everyone else were experts and knew better than we did,” says Karvellas. “But we soon learned that so many people just make it up as they go along. You probably know a lot more than you give yourself credit for, so trust your gut, trust your taste, trust yourself and be fearless about going after what you want.”