Now, we have four distributed full-time staff with over 28 part-time company ambassadors supporting 4,000-plus teachers and hosts who list on the platform in the US.” “We exist today because of the strength of our teachers and hosts and the willingness to keep working–despite a lack of financial resources–to provide a platform where over 75,000 people can explore their interests, try new things, meet new people and build their own brands by offering events on the platform.”Įven last year saw big changes: “ Earlier in 2016, we had 10 staff members and our own office in the River North area of downtown Chicago. “Over the years, we’ve learned that even without funding and money in the bank, a good idea can survive,” says Swoboda. Since 2013’s hard times, they’ve seen support come in from some significant sources: They won an Arch Grant in 2014 and followed it up with participation in Capital Innovators Spring 2015 cohort, which “was very instrumental in the rebirth and continued existence of Dabble.” Really hard-even with funding-but without funding it’s like having your kneecaps slammed with a sledgehammer if you’re not honest with yourself and your customers.” “It is this same transparency and honesty that we embody every day in how we operate Dabble with our team and our community,” says Swoboda. They’ve carried on that spirit in their current operations. ![]() “The resulting response and surge of energy from the community as a result of their candor and transparency very likely saved Dabble.” “When Dabble was considering what to do in the fall of 2013, the founders launched a website that struggling entrepreneurs still read today called “ 30 Days of Honesty” that documented the founders’ journey as they struggled to keep Dabble alive,” says Swoboda. “The company was very close to going under, but the idea is just too good to die and has proven resilient against the odds.” A Dabbler takes a woodworking classĭuring that time, they launched a website that would deeply resonate with the startup community. Today, he says “they remain some of our biggest cheerleaders.”ĭabble’s ride hasn’t always been an easy one: It’s “grown and scaled back many times over its five-plus year existence to make ends meet,” says Swoboda.ĭabble laid off “just about everyone in September 2013,” says Swoboda. Hopmann and Lybeck built the company for three years “before handing the reins over to the new team when resources ran out,” says Swoboda. The founders drew on sites like and for early inspiration and began building the first website on WordPress for what would eventually become Dabble.” After attracting their first teacher partners they launched with 18 classes and bootstrapped for a year before raising funding and moving the platform to a Ruby on Rails site in late 2012,” says Swoboda. ![]() ![]() Over and over, it seemed that events, classes and workshops were an incredible way to find new, loyal customers.” Originally, both had quit their day jobs to launch a marketing and branding company that would focus on small businesses and entrepreneurs, Swoboda says. “One thing that seemed to be a common denominator was that everyone needed more customers, and that many talented people needed support sharing their passion and skills. ![]() “We believe that learning doesn’t need to happen in a classroom, can be “fun” and that anyone can teach, learn or host.”Įrin Hopmann and Jess Lybeck founded the company in May 2011: As “young professionals in a big city, they found it hard to just “dabble” in their interests, try new things and meet new people rather than committing to often expensive, multi-session classes,” says Swoboda. Dabblers take a fencing class.ĭabble, an “event marketing technology and interest discovery platform,” aims to change this by connecting “curiosity with passion in local communities,” says Swoboda. After all, it seems like most people today are too busy with work to cultivate after-hours interests (they’re lucky if they squeak in a trip to the gym), much less “dabble” with a few to find one they love-or just play with their curiosity. “Dabble was founded on the idea that everyone has interests, skills and passions and we all long to connect,” says Dabble CEO and Chief Dabbler, Jay Swoboda.
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