At a time when most teens are focused on exploring the possibilities of adulthood, Gladis Morales went ahead and started her first entrepreneurial venture. Driven by the need to raise funds to support her studies, she turned to tutoring as a way of earning an income. She started when she was in high school. About Zestagram Now 23, Gladis is at the helm of Zestagram, a platform that matches employers and students in an Internship-to-Employment Program. When she was overloaded with clients and referrals, she asked if her friends and classmates wanted to earn during their free time. The small group of student freelancers she formed and the clients who were contacting her to get things done became the early version of the platform that is now known as Zestagram. If you are a solopreneur or a freelancer looking to scale and expand your business, this might be the solution for you. Zestagram prescreens potential interns based on your requirements and recommends a student. As an employer, you don’t only get assistance for selecting the right intern but you will also be helping to kickstart the career of a student. Listen to FBP 162 and get to know how this young leader learned the ropes in putting up a business, starting from testing ideas, validating with data, and adapting to changes. Gladis also shared how they came up with the name Zestagram and the challenges in putting up a startup company. Key Takeaways Finding a vision that we feel strongly about comes at any time and age in our lives and careers. In Gladis’ case, she found hers when she was still a teen. Get to know Gladis and Zestagram as she talks about: * How it all started with tutoring and online jobs * How they went from basic landing page with a manual handling to an actual platform * Challenges of building a platform * How Zestagram got its name * Reinventing the platform while still keeping the same vision * How to sign up as an employer or intern * What Zestagram has to offer for both employers and students Quote On how Zestagram is reinventing the internship hiring experience: “Employers like the idea of trial employment. Instead of just basing it on resumes, they get to see how potential hires work first… For the side of students, it’s a good gauge before signing an employment contract.” Links * Visit the website and sign up an employer or an intern at zestagram.co * For questions and clarifications when posting jobs, get in touch with Gladis at [email protected] or send a message on their Facebook page facebook.com/zestagramph/