For a majority of college students, mid-November signals the beginning of a holiday break. But for iSchool senior Dan Goldberg—CEO of one business (Golden Gear) and partner in a new four-person startup (DiamondMMA.com)—November’s calendar is filled with entrepreneurship competitions, and the concept of a time-out from classes and promoting his businesses likely hasn’t even crossed his mind.
Dan Goldberg
Goldberg recently competed in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards and the Ivy Sports Symposium, a “Shark Tank”-style competition. He’s pitching Diamond MMA company’s product—a uniquely designed protective athletic cup—to sports-world executives and key business figures. It’s the chance to obtain major exposure, have the opportunity to find new mentors, strategic partners and potential investors, and to continue to push forward in the world of entrepreneurship.
To Goldberg, these events also represent the ability to show how his innovation will have a major impact in the sports world and beyond, he says—as well as to show the judges why he has, well, something more. Never seeming to lack for enthusiasm, work ethic, a positive attitude, a salesman’s demeanor or pitching skills, “more” is Dan’s strong suit.
“All my life, I’ve really been a go-getter, and I feel like I’ve also viewed things differently. In the past, where other people have seen just problems, I saw the solution,” Dan recounts matter-of-factly. “My dream is to be a successful entrepreneur, and I won’t stop until I get there”
Goldberg and his Diamond MMA team are working to create maximum exposure for their product, including competitions like the kind he’s entering—and add mentorships and connections along the way—just as he’s done throughout his years at the iSchool.
That’s because to Goldberg, college is a place to build relationships as much as it is about the academics. “I can’t even count how many mentors I have at Syracuse, and even if I left school today, I feel like I’ve got everything I can from Syracuse because I’ve created such a great network of mentors who all want to see me succeed,” he enthused. “That’s what the iSchool is great at. My biggest mentors are at the tip of my phone; I can dial them anytime.”
