“It’s a food from my Dutch grandparents’ culture that I am not able to have here,” said Lascu. “So, for me, it solves that problem of me not being able to enjoy a food that I grew up with”. Cornering a unique area of the breakfast food market, Lascu differentiates Dimples from the rest of the competition. “As far as I know, no one else makes Dutch pancakes in Buffalo,” noted Lascu. 

Lascu, who graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2020 with a degree in Business Administration with concentrations in marketing and operations, was involved heavily with the Blackstone LaunchPad community on campus. “When I was looking at schools to go to in 2016, I heard about Blackstone at UB which made me more interested in UB as a whole,” said Lascu. “Before I even went to UB, I knew I wanted to be involved with Blackstone.” At Blackstone LaunchPad, Lascu participated in many events and was even a part of the team as a BLASER. Here, he learned valuable skills that have helped him run Dimples. “I participated in almost every pitch competition, which really helped my public speaking”, said Lascu. “I also did a number of Innovation Sprints. They were good for getting more practice solving a problem, working on a team, and pitching.” Along with that, he also gained more hands-on experience and knowledge during his time as a WNY Prosperity Fellow. The skills he has acquired from these opportunities have been very helpful for Lascu as he tries to navigate the world of entrepreneurship.

The sense of community at Blackstone LaunchPad also helped Lascu be better prepared to start a business. Here, he was able to witness firsthand how entrepreneurs manage their problems. “At Blackstone I came across so many people who came across similar struggles that I have gone through and still go through, and got through those things to build a successful business. It’s normal to have difficult times, it’s not like you start a business and it is easy,” said Lascu. “You can gain advice and experience through others, instead of having to go through everything yourself.”

Lascu strongly urges other aspiring entrepreneurs at UB to look into utilizing the resources available at Blackstone LaunchPad. “Definitely just go to events and get involved in that community. It’s really important to be surrounded by other people who believe you can achieve things, like as a young person, you can start a business” Lascu says. “So much of it is mindset and trusting yourself to go out of your comfort zone a bit and be surrounded by other people who are willing to do that because they believe in a payoff.” 

With all the knowledge he picked up at his time with Blackstone LaunchPad and the experience he has garnered from his time running Dimples, Lascu has been able to find a niche in the breakfast food industry. Serving smiles one bite at a time, Dimples has found success as a traveling business. “As of now it’s a mobile food business where I go to festivals, events, and do catering”, said Lascu. He has bigger plans for the future though and is looking to build his brand. “My plan looking forward is to expand to a full time business as a cafe,” said Lascu. With a distinctive place in the market secured, the future is bright for Lascu and Dimples."