Two ventures in Horn Entrepreneurship’s 2026 Summer Founders pre-accelerator program are working to bridge the gap between traditional industry barriers and modern market demands, moving beyond conventional standards to build scalable, high-impact solutions in real estate. Parker Media is a full-service social media agency designed to help real estate agents grow their online presence and stand out online, while Dash Group is utilizing strategic renovation and operational efficiency to unlock long-term value in real estate properties.
Parker Media
Parker Stille, BS in Entrepreneurship, class of 2028
For Parker Stille, the drive to build businesses started long before he stepped onto the University of Delaware campus.
"I've always had a passion for entrepreneurship," Stille said. "When I was a kid, I would always be starting all these neighborhood businesses—car washing, a lemonade stand. I even started this neighborhood composting business that did not do well at all, but I had a lot of fun with it."
Hungry for more experience, Stille reached out to friends with their own brands and hobbies to grow his social media content portfolio, leading to where he stands today.
Parker Media has focused its target audience to solve a very specific pain point for top-tier real estate professionals. "My customer is a successful, high-producing real estate agent who is doing extremely well," Stille says. "They have a lot of clients and provide great value, but they just don't have the time for the social media aspect of their business."
Stille bridges this gap by scripting and filming premium promotional walkthrough videos that feature the agent, fostering digital brand equity rather than focusing solely on quick transactions. "You nurture these relationships with these leads and clientele, and I've been able to help them build those amazing connections."
"The biggest win for me is being able to see how happy my clients are. I’ll be texting them and they’ll tell me, 'This video is doing great, it's performing super well, we love it. So many of our friends are complimenting us on our social media.' They're getting lots of views and engagement, and it’s just a great partnership." The proof of concept remains clear in the feedback he’s received so far.
The biggest obstacle he’s faced is having the willpower and discipline to push through when you don't know what's going on. "There've been times building this business where I'm confused about my problem statements, having trouble getting clients, or trying to build a package that nobody wants. You're cold calling for hours, getting rejected, not hearing back from possible clients... all of that is hard. That's the part of entrepreneurship that nobody really mentions on your way to the top."
Stille is no stranger to full-time grinding; he spent the previous summer working entirely on his business from home in Virginia. While he made excellent progress, brought in consistent revenue, and landed new clients, the isolation of solo venture building took a toll.
When he heard about UD's Summer Founders pre-accelerator program, he saw an opportunity to change his trajectory. "It really jumped out to me because not only would I be able to work on my business full-time like I planned, but I'd also be part of a cohort of other like-minded students trying to do the exact same thing. I can talk about what I've done well, and at the same time, get their advice. Working with a group of like-minded people is just so powerful—it’s a total win-win."
Driven by a family history of entrepreneurship and his own charismatic drive, Stille views his agency as a natural extension of his personality. As he scales, he remains focused on transforming Parker Media from a per-shoot service into a sustainable, retainer-based business that serves as a cornerstone for his clients' digital branding.
Dash Group
Suvil Kaushik, BS in Computer Science, class of 2026
Rushil Kaushik , BS in Computer Science, class of 2026
Suvil and Rushil Kaushik have adopted a rigorous, engineering-driven approach to real estate investment. By leveraging capital from their established e-commerce venture, the duo employs the B and four Rs (Buy, Renovate, Rent, Refinance, Repeat) model to transform distressed properties into modernized, high-quality living spaces that generate long-term asset value.
The founders view property management through a technical lens, applying systematic, analytical problem-solving to mitigate financial risk. "As computer scientists, we’ve been taught to think about solutions for problems by looking at every single thing—looking at edge cases, thinking about all the 'what-ifs,' and the worst-case scenario," they explain. "You have to think at the most extreme, worst-case scenario on how you can possibly save that and not like, what is the most probable scenario."
The goal is for tenants in the Wilmington housing market to be provided with safe, upgraded housing while turning deteriorating assets into stable, long-term investments. By acquiring these properties directly, they maintain full control over the asset lifecycle. The duo manages their portfolio through their own dedicated property management division, allowing us to bypass the inefficiencies of third-party firms and ensure a superior, consistent living experience for our tenants.
Navigating the industry as undergraduate students has presented unique barriers, particularly when establishing credibility with contractors and lenders accustomed to older investors.
"When we go in—when we talk to any contractor, anyone to buy the house—to a certain degree, people don't take us seriously because we're young," they note. "None of the contractors initially thought that we were the owners of the house. They always thought we were the property manager or something like that, which we are, but we're also the owner."
To scale their operations, the brothers joined the Summer Founders pre-accelerator, seeking a community of like-minded peers and expert mentorship. They value the program for the ability to exchange insights with others in their age range who are also working to build their ventures.
The founders maintain an "AMP" (Any Means Possible) mindset, advocating for hands-on experience and self-education as they finalize the refinance of their first property in the coming weeks. With no time to waste, the duo have already begun looking toward their next acquisition with a commitment to individual persistence.
A Shared Lesson
Both Parker Stille and the Kaushik brothers emphasize that the greatest barrier to entrepreneurship is the exhaustion caused by over-analysis and the search for perfect conditions. Whether it is through Parker’s philosophy of the "micro-step" or the Kaushiks' "AMP" (Any Means Possible) mindset, they all agree that the path forward requires abandoning the wait for a roadmap and simply diving into the work.
"A lot of people get caught up in the future logistics—'How is this going to work? How is that going to work?'" Stille says. "But you just need to figure out the absolute smallest action you can take right now to put you in the right direction. Take that tiny micro-step; that gives you all the momentum you need, you’ll start enjoying it, and the rest of the pieces will start falling into place."
The Kaushik brothers echo this call to action, framing entrepreneurship as a process of self-guided discovery rather than following a pre-written set of instructions. "Dive in the deep end. Just start it. What's stopping you?" they argue. "You're not following a set of guidelines. It's a dream. You have to just go for it. Your network is your net worth."
Ultimately, the lesson is that momentum is generated through action and resourcefulness rather than preparation. By choosing to start and grow your network, aspiring founders can overcome the uncertainty that keeps most people on the sidelines. As the founders consistently demonstrate, the path to building a business is not found in a classroom, but in the decision to go out and build it.
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement at the University of Delaware. Currently ranked among the best entrepreneurship programs in the U.S., Horn Entrepreneurship was built and is actively supported by successful entrepreneurs, empowering aspiring innovators as they pursue new ideas for a better world.