Grid110 Founder Story: Steve Dypiangco from Dadventures
This month’s Founder Story is about Steve, the CEO & Co-Founder of Dadventures.
So much planning goes into making plans for your day! My son, Wyatt, is almost two years old, so we have to factor in his age and if the event is kid-friendly. While I help Wyatt get ready for the day, my husband is researching activities that we can do. Googling entails all of the following: looking at if the event is appropriate for Wyatt’s age, when their busiest times are, and any other activities in the area that we can use as a backup, etc. All of the time spent on researching could have resulted in extra quality time with our son.
Cue in Dadventures! Dadventures helps parents figure out what to do and the easiest way to do it, so parents can focus on being present with their kids.
Steve was planning for every family’s dream trip: to Disneyland! He wanted to make sure his children could have the best experience, so he researched all of the rides, details about each ride, and of course, asked his kiddos for their input. All of Steve’s research took a lot of extra work off of his wife’s plate. The result, happy wife, happy kiddos, and the trip to Disneyland was a success!
How does this all work? For only $2.99 per month, you get access to personalized activities, events, and deals perfect for your family. Dadventures offers curated recommendations of fun family activities (at home and in select local markets) and recently launched live and interactive online experiences. Virtual Dadventures include one-of-a-kind events with reptiles, princess sing-alongs, and Harry Potter-themed tours.
It can be challenging to find a safe, engaging, and entertaining activity to do with your child during these challenging times. If you’re stuck doing the same activities each day and want to expand your creativity with activities and entertaining your children, become a member with Dadventures. They are currently helping out over 100,000 parents engage in fun and safe family entertainment!
“Today’s dads are more involved in their kids’ lives than ever before, but there aren’t many dad-specific resources to help them succeed, which is a problem we call the “Dad Gap. With our family entertainment recommendations that are dad-vetted and dad-approved, we help take away the arduous task of researching and planning.”
To learn more about Steve’s entrepreneurship journey, check out the full interview below.
What is your venture? What do you do?
Dadventures strengthens families by helping busy dads and moms discover fun and safe things to do with their kids. I’m the Co-Founder and CEO of Dadventures, as well as a husband and father of 3. At work, I lead a team focused on delivering the best family entertainment recommendations to parents as efficiently as possible. When I’m not working, you can find me going on all sorts of fun dadventures with my family.
What prompted you to start your venture?
Inspired by our own struggles balancing parenting young children with busy careers, my co-founder, Devon, and I set out to help other dads gain confidence as active parents and lean into being more equal partners at home. When I take my kids on Dadventures and see their big smiles, it makes me so happy and proud to be their dad. We want other dads to have that same feeling, leading to happier, healthier, and more successful families.
What’s unique and advantageous about being in LA for you and your venture?
Being in LA is great for me and Dadventures because there are so many great family entertainment options available. We have incredible access to nature nearby, from the beaches to the mountains. And although many places have been impacted by the pandemic, there are still many places to go safely as long as you use a little creativity, which is what we’re especially good at.
As you think back to your Grid110 experience, what are the 1–2 lessons or takeaways that still stick out to you?
Make something people really want, and make it as good as it can be.
Considering what Grid110 provides and offers, what has been the most impactful to you as a founder and business? How has the Grid110 experience influenced your entrepreneurial journey?
There are so many challenges as an early-stage founder and not enough time to fix everything. But Grid110 helped me understand where I should my time, which is on making the best product I can to serve my customers.
What advice would you give to Founders who are considering applying to Grid110?
If you’re considering applying to Grid110, do it. The program is absolutely free, which is incredible. Everything you learn and the great people you connect with will be valuable for you and your endeavors for the rest of your career.
Now, time for some more FUN questions!
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
Nothing specifically, but I liked the idea of having 40+ jobs in my life. Being an entrepreneur is essentially living that dream because I’m always doing something different each day.
What is your spirit animal?
Blue whale
Who is your role model?
Clayton Christiansen, Harvard Business School professor, and author
If you were a superhero, what would be your superpower?
Teleportation because LA traffic is evil.
What’s currently on your playlist right now?
HAIM, Sia, Lana Del Rey, Joji, and Dua Lipa
News from Dadventures!
Dadventures just raised $2 Million in Seed Funding to expand our curated family entertainment platform.
Follow us and stay in touch through social media!
Instagram at @hellodadventures
Facebook at @hellodadventures
Twitter at @HelloDadventure
About Grid110
Grid110 provides mentoring and key resources for early-stage entrepreneurs in underserved regions. We support early-stage companies by connecting them to office space, mentors, and important resources during the most critical phase of their business life-cycle through education programs.
