From competing for a world speed record as a Hampshire student to working with Ferrari, Porsche, and Nike, Wiener has built a career fueled by creativity, risk taking, and bold ideas. His new memoir, Accidental Madness, captures the highs and lows of that journey, providing an inside look at the unpredictable world of entrepreneurship.
Everyone has had the dream of inventing something. Hampshire College alum David Wiener 78F made that dream his reality when he was just a kid, and for the past 40 years, he has designed, engineered, manufactured, and sold a vast array of products and worked with global companies. We spoke with him about his Hampshire experience, work, art, and Accidental Madness: At the Intersection of Extreme Creativity and Entrepreneurship.
What led you to Hampshire?
I transferred to Hampshire from the University of Vermont, where I was studying mechanical engineering. I realized I could study a much broader scope of subjects at Hampshire and expanded my research and work to design, engineering, art, and aerodynamics by taking courses both at Hampshire and across the other Five Colleges.
What was you Div III project?
My Div III was a huge undertaking, combining all of my studies as I designed and built two vehicles to compete for the International Human-Powered World Speed Record.
The competition was held in California in early May of each year, so the timing was perfect for my final semester at Hampshire. The project grew into much more than I had envisioned when I wrote it up and presented it to my Div III chair. Far beyond the engineering, design, and construction of the two world record attempt vehicles, I had to raise a lot of funding, which necessitated approaching 70 major corporations and other potential funding targets. Having raised funds from grants, family and friends, and sponsorships from companies such as Campagnolo and DuPont, I was able to compete.
Halfway through the year, PBS caught wind of my project and decided to do a documentary about it, titled Human Power.
How did your Hampshire experience impact your work?
My work at Hampshire was very directly related to my career as a designer and innovator. I even manufactured a consumer version of my Div III recumbent bike as the first-ever commercial three-wheel recumbent bike on the market back in 1983, and I sold it around the world. It was called the LandSpeeder. It was just about 30 years ahead of its time! You now see this type of bike in lots of places.
Tell us about your art and entrepreneurship.
I’ve created a lot of industry-changing products that I’m proud of, particularly because my goal was always to be innovative and focus on making something that would be the best in its category rather than how to make the most money. My life, career, and financial successes have been a roller coaster, not always pretty, but always exciting and challenging. I’ve worked with and partnered with Ferrari, Porsche, Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, the US Ski Team, and many great people, among them Ayrton Senna, Billie Jean King, Peter Gabriel, Alan Parsons, and Jean Todt.
During my junior high and high school years I was a professional photographer, shooting the America’s Cup, the Indy 500, Formula One, and more all by the age of 16. In recent years, I’ve used my photography to make modern abstract artwork of those images. My art has been exhibited in Florence, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and Carmel.
What inspired you to write and publish your book?
Around 2015, a friend suggested I write a book about my experiences. I didn’t really think anyone would want to read it, but I started writing at night and whenever I could find a bit of free time. It took years of sneaking time, but I finally finished and published Accidental Madness in December of last year. The book is an entrepreneurial memoir starting from a young age to today and is a fun ride about some of the wild and crazy adventures I’ve been on.