FLC Alumni Spotlight – Scott Tannen

Forest Lake has always taken great pride in having second and even third generation campers. Scott Tannen (FLC 1989-1996) can now be counted among that special group.

Scott began his association with FLC as a camper (Red team) in 1989. Like many alumni, he also joined the camp staff following his years as a camper. Scott hailed from Bernardsville, New Jersey at the time. After graduating from Vanderbilt University (where he met his future wife, Missy), Scott entered the computer programming industry creating video games. He explains it as follows, “On the heels of my extensive training in the “computer lab” adjacent to the amphitheatre during my days at FLC, I spent the first decade of my career making video games. First while in marketing at Nabisco and later Wrigley and subsequently at a company I founded called Funtank. At Funtank, we owned and operated one of the most popular gaming websites in the world: Candystand.com. After selling Funtank in 2010 and leaving the company in 2012, it was time for a career change.

More recently – “In 2014, my wife and I founded Boll and Branch with a vision to create a luxury home textiles business that values ethical manufacturing and environmental responsibility, while maintaining fair and transparent pricing to the customer. It has been an absolute whirlwind since day one and we’ve been growing very quickly making beautiful 100% organic cotton bed linens, towels, and blankets. In just two years, Boll and Branch has become on the largest purchasers of organic cotton in the world and we’re the first bedding company ever to be certified by Fair Trade USA. We count dozens of celebrities and dignitaries among our customers including both Presidents Bush, President Clinton, and even Brett Booker.

Scott writes about his “free time” – “There’s nothing I love more than spending time with my family. Of course, I miss my girls terribly while they’re at FLC in the summer but, really, I am just jealous. So, I find time to tune up my golf game whenever I can. I also love playing and watching just about any sport – my girls’ travel soccer is a highlight but I do get to most NY Giants home games, too.”

Scott, Missy, and their girls reside in Chatham, NJ. Sophie, Brooke, and Hailey are all current FLC campers. Among Scott’s many friends from his days at FLC, he stays in touch most often with Brett Booker and Cody Raisig.

When asked about his favorite FLC memories, Scott cites being in the camp van when it collided with Batman; being a member of the outstanding senior soccer team that included Jason Auerbach, Fernando Aguerrevere, and Jorge Padilla. Of course, the quality of the team was ensured by the able coaching of Brett Booker. Scott also recalls the performing late-night pranks with Cody and Dan Schwarz that involved stacking mess halls tables, trash cans, and ping pong tables much to the chagrin of Russ Combs.

Scott sums up his camp experience by writing, “There is something so special about camp – the memories, friendships, but most of all the growing up. Whatever success I’ve had or will have in life I greatly owe to my FLC experience. Camp gave me the confidence to try things – to not be afraid of failure, being myself or being different.”

Would you like to connect or reconnect with other FLC alumni? If so, we have a great Alumni Network Database – you can establish an account or update your account below. 

Click Alumni Directory to update your account

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