Dingman Bootstrapped

On this episode of Bootstrapped, our executive producer switched to the special guest chair as we interviewed UMD alumnus Oscar Zeballos EMBA ’16, co-founder of Podcast Village and executive producer of Bootstrapped. Often, podcasters have a difficult time nailing every aspect of their show as they don’t always have the resources or know-how. To resolve this pain point, Oscar created Podcast Village to provide a turnkey solution for podcasters to collaborate and create their video or audio show at the highest level possible. On this episode of Bootstrapped, Oscar discusses the business model behind Podcast Village, the future he sees for podcasting and how he leveraged his network and unfair advantages to bring his vision to fruition.

On this episode of Bootstrapped we discuss running a business in a post-COVID world with Oliver Schlake, Clinical Professor at the Robert H. Smith School of Business. With years of academic and professional research under his belt, Schlake is a dictionary for all things entrepreneurship. We dive deep into the pressing questions of our time, including adapting a venture to our changing economy and planning ahead for life after quarantine. In our conversation, we learn how entrepreneurs can prioritize their business operations and optimize their time to sustain their business in an uncertain future. Join us as Schlake highlights the importance of resilience and capacity for agility in this highly requested Bootstrapped feature.

On this episode of Bootstrapped, we sat down with our Entrepreneur-in-residence Harry Geller ’81, who has over forty years of experience as a serial entrepreneur, investor, and mentor. Geller shares invaluable insights and real-world advice from his experience turning his startup Global Mail into a 60 million dollar success. He also takes us through the startups and investments that followed, including running fine-dining establishments that turned into 10 million dollar businesses. Through his journey as a mentor and angel investor for the Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship, he discusses what is needed to scale a venture and run a business through tough times. Tune in now, and grab a pen and paper because you’re going to want to take notes!

This episode of Bootstrapped features the story of University of Maryland alumni entrepreneur Aaron Epstein ’03, founder of Creative Market. From small beginnings in his college dorm room, Epstein started Creative Market by creating a color-matching web-based service during the dot com boom. After graduating from UMD, he became a self-taught developer and designer to turn his website into an app. Through eventual partnerships with his Co-Founder and collaborations with Y Combinator in Silicon Valley, Epstein was able to transform his idea from a website that generated petty cash to a a full-on marketplace for graphic design assets from independent creators around the world. Join us as Epstein shares what he wishes he would have known as a young entrepreneur and how his connections in San Francisco aided him in making strategic decisions for his company.

This episode of Bootstrapped follows the story of QUEST alumnus Sahil Rahman ’12, co-Founder of RASA, an Indian Fast Casual restaurant located in Washington, D.C. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in Operations and Supply Chain Management, Rahman launched his career as a Business Analyst for Deloitte. Then, in 2014, he and his childhood best friend, fellow UMD Alum, Rahul Vinod ’11, followed the footsteps of their restaurateur fathers and started RASA. The duos vision for delivering traditional Indian food through the lens of a trendy, fast-casual restaurant has attracted tremendous attention and numerous accolades. In fact, the company is planning a major area expansion alongside NFL Redskins star Vernon Davis. Listen now to learn about building customer loyalty, attracting angel investors and climbing the ladder of the culinary industry.