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In this episode I sit down with Dino Bilankov, the Founder and CEO of DBA Group, a strategic finance advisory firm he established in 2023. DBA specializes in delivering premier strategic finance services to venture-backed, private equity-owned, and founder-owned high-growth businesses, with a focus on healthcare, technology, and private equity sectors.

Dino's journey from a small town in Croatia to Division 1 Tennis at University of Minnesota, to Wall Street/Private Equity, Harvard Business School, United Health Care and now his own company is incredibly inspiring for his fearlessness, willingness to bet on himself, and his relentless commitment to quality and continuous improvement in everything that he does. He is also a highly self-aware and actualized person with a remarkable sense of perspective.

More bio info here, hope you enjoy this part one of what will hopefully be a multi-part discussion.

Before founding DBA Group, Dino served as Chief Financial Officer for UnitedHealthcare’s Southwest Markets, managing a $2.5 billion P&L across multiple states. Earlier in his career, he held corporate strategy and business development roles at UnitedHealthcare, leading M&A analyses at a $250 billion enterprise. He also worked in private equity at Diamond Castle Holdings and in investment banking at RBC Capital Markets, where he raised over $1.8 billion for automotive industry financings.

Education and Academic Roles

Dino earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Minnesota, where he captained the Division I tennis team on a full athletic scholarship. He later completed his MBA at Harvard Business School. He is an adjunct professor of finance at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management and an Entrepreneur-in-residence at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

Leadership and Advisory Roles

Dino is a board member of the Harvard Club of Phoenix and has served as HBS Chapter Chair for the Harvard Club of Minnesota LinkedIn. He has also worked as a career coach for work-authorized immigrants and as an admissions interviewer for Harvard University.

Personal Interests

Outside of finance, Dino enjoys playing tennis, practicing jiu jitsu, spending time outdoors, and learning guitar and piano. A former professional tennis player and top-ranked junior in Croatia, he brings the same discipline and drive to his professional work.

In summary, Dino Bilankov combines deep corporate finance expertise, private equity and investment banking experience, and academic leadership to guide high-growth companies through strategic and financial challenges, while also contributing to education and community engagement.

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For comments and suggestions on the show or "High Five" business nomiations, please email me at: scott.moody@gmail.com

Twitter / X: @Break_It_Down10

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In this episode we'll go behind the scenes of the laundromat business with Avi Beinhacker, founder and CEO of Laundromat Universe. Laundry is an essential service, particularly in urban and apartment-centric housing areas where residents may not have their own laundry facilities. We'll go behind the scenes on how Avi began his thought process on researching various entrepreneurial opportunities, and how he came to settle on the coin laundry business (although the coin part is being replaced with electronic payments) and executed his first acquisition.

If you like business and understanding how everyday service businesses work, this one is for you!

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

For comments and suggestions on the show or "High Five" business nomiations, please email me at: scott.moody@gmail.com

Twitter / X: @Break_It_Down10

Send us Fan Mail

When you buy athletic apparel at a physical retailer or online, how did it get produced and where does the money go? John Ziegler, Co-CEO of Active Apparel takes us behind the scenes on how this all works. From his days as an investment banker in trenches during the Great Recession, through his initial investment in tennis apparel brand Solfire and subsequent investment in Active Apparel, John provides an insider's view on the economics and strategy of the sports apparel industry, and some US Open tennis predictions.

Support the show

Thanks for listening!

For comments and suggestions on the show or "High Five" business nomiations, please email me at: scott.moody@gmail.com

Twitter / X: @Break_It_Down10