An Ascent Sporting Innovations, now ELOS, meeting in 2023 with Anthony Milazzo, Thunlwyn Garcia, Garth Patterson, Sophia Culmone, Mitchell Gallo and Nate Stricker.
When Nate Stricker, C’24, founded Eleven Digital as a Mount St. Mary’s University undergraduate student, he set out to redefine vacation rental marketing. Less than two years into the business, he’s transforming the industry for the better and growing his business at an astounding rate.
"We started this company not just to change the industry but to bring a sense of community and collaboration to every project we touch," said Stricker. "Our approach is about more than just marketing—it's about crafting experiences that resonate with guests and empower hosts."
This approach has appealed to short-term rental owners from Alaska to Hawaii. Eleven Digital boasts the largest vacation rental in the U.S. as a client, an 80-bedroom property in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. By removing the middleman of traditional advertising and booking platforms, Stricker and his partner, hometown friend Anthony Futrick, maximize bookings for their clients while lowering prices for renters. The partners grew up in Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Wilson High School.
Services offered cover the whole spectrum. Social media advertising campaigns, email and SMS communications, direct booking sites, and innovative software that automates guest data management are all a part of the package, as is their return on investment calculator. The ROI calculator shows each client how much they can expect to benefit from working with Eleven Digital.
“Understanding your return on investment is crucial," Stricker emphasized. "Our ROl calculator ensures every host knows exactly how our services transform their profits and operational efficiency."
"Our work goes beyond mere marketing; it’s about crafting a legacy of excellence and collaboration," shared Futrick.
The unique blend of vision, camaraderie and originality that makes Eleven Digital so successful was born and bred at Mount St. Mary’s. A business major, Stricker had always been interested in entrepreneurship and found a home at the Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship’s (PCE) Entrepreneurship Club, run by PCE Director Garth Patterson, Ph.D., who’s been an inspiration to Stricker as a student and as a business owner.
“The collaborative environment fostered by the club allowed me to engage with peers who were equally driven to explore new business ventures. These interactions not only expanded my network but also provided a forum for exchanging ideas and strategies that were critical in the early stages of my business,” Stricker said. “The diverse perspectives and feedback from club members helped refine my approach to digital marketing, making my services more robust and client-focused.”
Connections made at the Mount have proved crucial, as well. Jose Cornejo, C’97, first suggested marketing short-term rentals to Stricker and helped “show him the ropes” of the industry. Cornejo went on to become Eleven Digital’s first client.
In addition, Stricker’s former roommate and men’s NCAA Division I soccer teammate, Thunlwyn Garcia, C’23, offered advice, telling Stricker and Futrick to stick to one idea and build it up rather than trying out too many things. Garcia, another product of the Entrepreneurship Club, is the CEO of ELOS and one of the developers of a patented shoe insole for athletes.
Stricker has carried on the PCE’s legacy of mentorship and collaboration. Now a graduate student pursuing his MBA at the Mount, he is the current leader of the Entrepreneurship Club and a mentor to current students. With the Career Center’s assistance, Stricker has also created internship opportunities for Mount students with Eleven Digital.
This year, they brought on Mitchell Gallo, C’23, MBA’24, who served as a financial planning and analysis specialist for six months. Gallo now is a corporate advisory analyst at Chesapeake Corporate Advisors.
Eleven Digital’s founding, growth, and success form a promising picture of the Mount’s mission in action. Throughout his entrepreneurship journey, Stricker has received helping hands from across the Mount community and been shaped by his peers and professors from the PCE. Inspired and grateful, he has chosen to pursue excellence for his clients and put his time, effort and wisdom at the service of the PCE and aspiring students who see a model in him.
To learn more about the PCE and the Entrepreneurship Club, visit the webpage.