Start-Up Stories

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Last year's Swim with the Sharks Pitch Competition winner and founder of TRIC Robotics, Adam Stager, shares how he took his passion for mechanical engineering and sustainability to create an agriculture robotics technology company in Delaware. He shares how his entrepreneurial journey lead him to developing a customer center non-chemical pesticide solution to treating strawberry farms thanks to the help of his University of Delaware connections and USDA scientists.

We talked with Yemina Israel to learn the story behind the personal care brand, Addi Naturals. Yemina shared the "personal care" she takes growing and/or ethically sourcing each individual ingredient to creating personalized products that addresses the health needs of her customers.

Listen to the entrepreneurial journey of Founder and CEO Zach Phillips of Short Order Production House. In this inspiring interview, Zach shares the strategies he used to build the largest video production company in Delaware, lessons he learned along the way, and why he believes being too safe when creating video content can be a costly mistake.

Listen to the entrepreneurial journey of Language Liaisons' Founder and CEO Leah daPonte Lightcap, and her secret weapon ... Ireida Grabill. In this upbeat interview, she takes us through the tragedy that inspired her to take action, the calculated risks that paid off, and how her response to the community's need has been a core value for her company and the culture she is creating.

Co-Founders Gayle Dillman and Jeremy Hebbel prove that sometimes in life, and business, you need to remain open to possibilities and unexpected partnerships. As they share Gable Music Ventures's start-up story you will hear how they maintain a positive relationship with artists, vendors, and patrons that is rooted in integrity and mutual respect. They also share what has enabled their business to easily pivot during the pandemic and what inspired them to produce the "Ladybug Festival," the largest celebration of women in music nationwide.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with the Founder of Symbiosys Consulting, Stewart Belsham to learn the story behind starting his company, why he believes a sense of humor is an important quality for new hires, the importance of having an advisory board, and more! He was also joined by the company's Business Development Executive Glen Gray.

Watch interview with local business growth expert Bruce Rushton to learn how he turned his passion for helping business owners and leaders fight the "Get Up and Go to Work Syndrom" into his own business. Learn from his journey into entrepreneurship and how he settled on joining a franchise to build his brand.

Every brand has a story, and today we are excited to talk with our incubator client Roger Clappe, the founder and CEO of WhipFlip about his early beginnings in the automotive industry that led him to becoming an entrepreneur.