Connor Kostyra

Business Owner @Lakeside Watersports

Brookfield, CT, US

I first worked for Lakeside Watersports during the summers of 2016 and 2017. In early 2021, I acquired the company from its previous owners. Despite being fully booked and ready to operate, we were shut down for the 2021 summer season. It was a challenging setback, but I was determined to push forward and rebuild.To stay active in the industry, I began helping a local dealership deliver boats and identified a new demand during the COVID-19 pandemic: boating instruction for new boat owners. With so many people buying boats but lacking proper training, I used my network and customer list to launch what we now call my “Captain Service.” I offered services such as: • Teaching new boat owners everything they need to know about their boats. • Instruction on docking, towing for watersports, and general boating safety. • Advanced watersports coaching and on-water driving services.This innovation helped rebuild the business, and by 2022 we were fully operational and permitted. We began operating out of Echo Bay Marina in Brookfield, CT, offering public access to premium watersports experiences.In our first full season in 2022, we experienced tremendous growth: • The Captain Service was fully booked every weekend. • Our single boat had a waiting list each weekend.For the 2023 season, we expanded by adding a second boat—a brand-new 2023 MasterCraft 24 NXT from Echo Bay Marina—and grew our team to 20 staff members. We also implemented a custom-built booking software to streamline operations and address lessons learned from 2022.Now for 2025, we’ve upgraded our fleet with two brand-new 2025 MasterCraft NXT 23 boats and are enhancing our equipment to provide an even better experience for our customers.

Rollins College

Bachelor's degree, Computer Science, Business