Weathering the Storms with Resilience
“Ice Storm, 2008.”
If you lived in New Hampshire that December, you remember it. The storm that glazed the state in ice, knocked out power for days, and left thousands shivering in the dark is etched in our collective memory. For Mark Carpenter, Owner, Inventor, and CEO of GenTent Safety Canopies, it was more than a crisis—it was the moment that changed the trajectory of his life.
Mark and his wife had recently moved north from warmer climates. They weren’t used to outages of this scale, and when the power went out, they urgently needed a generator to stay warm and medically safe. It took a full day to find one. When he finally got it home, the manual offered two ominous warnings:
- Don’t use it in an enclosed space (carbon monoxide danger)
- Don’t use it in wet weather
Mark’s reaction?
“Wet weather—as in, say, an ice storm?!”
Every year, thousands of people get sick, are injured, or even die because they run generators too close to their homes or attempt to shield them improperly during storms. When the weather turns dangerous—snow, hurricanes, heavy rain—consumers often have no safe way to run emergency power.
Mark was certain he wasn’t the only one facing this problem. And soon, his inventor’s brain went to work.
Sometimes, You Should Quit Your Day Job
By 2010, Mark was working as a tech executive when he made the bold decision to take a year off. During that time, he became obsessed with solving the generator-in-the-storm dilemma. Existing solutions were bulky, expensive, or downright unsafe. He knew there had to be a better way.
Before launching his first product in 2012, Mark spent years quietly building the foundation—forming his LLC, engineering prototypes, securing patents, and trademarking what would become the GenTent, a rugged, weatherproof generator canopy designed to keep emergency power running safely during severe weather.
Flame-retardant, durable, and engineered to handle hurricane-level rain, 55 pounds of snow, and winds up to 70 mph, GenTent was built for exactly the moments when people are tired, stressed, or in crisis. As Mark puts it, the product had to withstand the worst so consumers wouldn’t have to.
Weathering a Storm of “No’s”
Mark invested his own money to launch GenTent. But when he tried to get parts manufactured, he hit resistance at every turn. Supplier after supplier dismissed the idea.
Finally, after a long string of rejections, several U.S. manufacturers took a chance on him.
Mark launched his website in 2012 and sold 30 units in the first three months. When he realized the materials weren’t up to his standards, he replaced every single one—at his own expense. Customers were stunned by his integrity; one even mailed him a handwritten thank-you note with $20 inside, which Mark still has framed on his wall.
Ready to Grow
When Hurricane Sandy hit, GenTent sold out—all 90 units in inventory were gone in three days. Growth accelerated. Mark made back his initial investment within nine months and hired his first full-time employees by 2016.
But success brought new challenges. Mark was everywhere—solving problems, putting out fires, managing operations. As he puts it, he was “operating but not innovating.”
In 2023, after presenting at the Consumer Product Safety Commission and connecting with state-level generator safety groups, Mark met SBDC Advisor Ed Miles. Their relationship became pivotal.
Ed helped Mark step back from day-to-day chaos and step into his role as visionary. With candid guidance and strategic support, Ed encouraged him to lead at a higher level, refocus on innovation, and build the right team around him.
The impact was transformative:
- Staff expanded from 5 to 11
- Team skillsets strengthened dramatically
- Collaboration skyrocketed
- Problem-solving no longer rested solely on Mark’s shoulders
Most importantly, Mark regained the space—and energy—to focus on long-term growth. With new products and international expansion on the horizon, the company is thriving. Mark celebrates the wins more often now, and he’s immensely proud of the culture and team they’ve built.
Principles to Build By
“Trust and confidence are earned; respect is due everyone.” — Mark Carpenter
Mark lives by two core beliefs that he shares with fellow entrepreneurs:
- “An idea is an invitation to take action. Take the action. Persevere and go all in.”
- Lead with respect. Even when it takes courage to offer respect first, do it anyway.
From a freezing night in 2008 to a nationally recognized safety innovation, Mark’s journey is proof that resilience, conviction, and a willingness to weather the “no’s” can transform a single idea into an industry-shaping solution.