How a Robbery Led to a Business Idea Enjoy the beach or pool without getting burned by theft.

Entrepreneurs: Jonathan Kinas, Avin Samtani and Rob Peck had their valuables stolen from lounge chairs at a South Beach, Miami, resort in 2011. The friends came up with an idea that would turn their misfortune into opportunity.

"Aha" moment: "We tucked our things into our sneakers and went for a swim, and when we came back, everything was gone," Kinas recalls. "When we realized several other people at our resort had the same problem, we said, "We need to invent something to prevent this.'"

After researching the market for personal outdoor security products, the three graduates of Hofstra University's Zarb School of Business—who were all working in finance at the time—invested their own money to develop AquaVault, a portable safe for use at the pool or beach.