INTERVIEW
Rob Autry attended the University of Central Oklahoma where he earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Business Administration and Marketing. He was a collegiate tennis player all four years and served as the Chapter Vice President for the Association of College Entrepreneurs.
He gained essential early-career experience working for Fortune 500 companies like Coca-Cola and Phillip Morris. Autry’s true passion, however, was to follow his entrepreneurial spirit. In 1995, he founded Café Carolina & Bakery. For the next ten years, Autry grew the business to 11 locations and saw revenues increase by double digits annually until it was ultimately acquired by a large food conglomerate in 2005.
In 2010, Autry founded Vstrator, a universal video analysis platform committed to enhancing coachable moments for athletes. The platform’s revolutionary analysis tools gave novices and pros alike a competitive edge and went on to be utilized by some of the best coaches, athletes, teams, and teaching academies in the world. IMG Academy, Nick Bollettieri, the San Francisco Giants, Rafael Nadal, Reggie Bush, the Carolina Hurricanes, Stanford University, the University of North Carolina, and Duke University are just a few examples of athletes and organizations that have benefited from Autry’s creation.
Beyond his devotion to his family - his wife Lisa and daughter Ava - Autry’s passions can be summed up by his dedication to giving back to his community, supporting and lending council to young entrepreneurs, and a love for the game of tennis.
His latest venture, Swing Racquet + Paddle, is the intersection of Autry’s collective experiences and passions. Swing is a platform that reimagines the racquet sports experience, smashing barriers to entry by creating an accessible and fun place to play. As a first-of-its-kind campus, Swing will off an experience that speaks to a new generation of players and invites everyone to take a swing, have fun, and get active. Located in the heart of the Triangle of North Carolina, Swing’s massive 45-acre Flagship campus will unite a diverse range of racquet and paddle sports including tennis, pickleball, padel, beach tennis, and ping pong. Together with state-of-the-art facilities, premium food and beverage, retail spaces, and innovative programming, Swing will be a place that brings people together through a common connection centered on sustainability, social good, and inclusion.