Shark attack

Most people do everything they can to steer clear of sharks. Amanda Wilson chases them.

In 2013, Wilson and her business partner, Lindsay Lyon, bought Shark Shield, an Australian company that makes a device that repels sharks through an electronic force field. Before Wilson and Lyon bought the firm, nearly 90% of the company's sales were in Australia. Statistically most shark attacks happen in the United States in Florida, so Wilson decided to follow the sharks to St. Petersburg.

An American living in Australia, Wilson moved back stateside and opened the U.S. office last May. In her first eight months, the company has seen a 300% increase in revenue from domestic sales, which boosted the company's overall revenue 60%. When she started, Shark Shield was in seven U.S. retailers; now it's in 50, with the majority in Florida.