扎克麦地那, 2016年易胜博校友, is the chief operating officer for 病毒的想法, a video marketing production firm he co-founded with a friend.
阿宾顿,爸爸. — It’s a classic startup story: Two college buddies develop a 业务 with an idea, 几百美元, 以及坚定的职业道德. 如今，公司蒸蒸日上.
In this story, one of the main characters is 扎克麦地那, a Penn State alumnus who attended the 阿宾顿 campus, who is now the chief operating officer at 病毒的想法, a video marketing production firm he co-founded.
Medina and his 业务 partner, 大卫Feinman, trace their friendship and their roots as entrepreneurs back to high school when they started honing their entrepreneurial skills by hosting large-scale teen dances and sweet 16s.
Medina maintained his focus on developing 业务 ideas when he enrolled at 阿宾顿.
在白天, 我会去上课, and at night and in between I would work on my 业务,他说.
Medina and Feinman, who attended Temple University, kept in touch.
“We were living the college life trying to understand our next move,” Medina, who earned a 业务 学位,解释.
大约三年前, the duo was introduced to a man at a Temple event who said he wanted to be their client. With their own $250 and a three-month advance from this first client, they officially hatched 病毒的想法.
"We didn't have a name, 业务 cards, a website, nothing," Medina said. "We raced out of there and realized that this could be an actual 业务, 我们把所有东西都整理好了. This really launched 病毒的想法 to where we are today.
"Every day after that I woke up early, went to office, and went to class," he continued. "It was nonstop work mode for two straight years."
Today, 病毒的想法 takes Medina up and down the New York to Washington, D.C., corridor for meetings with clients ranging from Fortune 200 companies to mom-and-pop firms.
"We help people discover their 'why' and share it through video," Medina said of the 病毒的想法 mission.
扎克麦地那 '16, chief operating officer, 病毒的想法.
With any successful venture there are people and experiences along the way that provide support. 在麦地那, key courses and people at 阿宾顿 helped form him, especially classes focused on 创业.
"Standing in front of class and trying to sell a product was hard enough, but you have to learn how to do it properly, and this experience really brought that forth,他说.
麦地那赞扬了 就业中心 & 专业发展 at 阿宾顿 and urged students to take advantage of their services, especially mock interviews.
"I'm a big advocate of mock interviews,他说. "You should use them every single year while you are in school. There's no pressure of 'am I going to get this job?'"
杰里米Lessard, assistant director in the 就业中心 & 专业发展, is Medina's contact at 阿宾顿 when Medina returns to talk to students.
"His enthusiasm is really impactful," Medina said. "He is down to earth and tells you how it is. He inspires you, and I appreciate that from a mentor."
关于宾大阿宾顿
宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校 offers baccalaureate degrees in 19 majors at its suburban location just 费城北部. 将近一半的人口,000 students complete all four years at 阿宾顿, with opportunities in undergraduate research, 施赖尔荣誉项目, NCAA Division III athletics and more. Students can start the first two years of more than 160 Penn State majors at 阿宾顿 and complete their degrees at University Park or another campus.
