November 10, 2009

DormAid: OTTO MAGDANZ and CARLO PASSACANTANDO

Otto Magdanz and Carlo "the Great" Passacantando bought Lion Laundry their sophomore year at Columbia University. Now they are seniors and have taken over DormAid, a company present on college campuses across the country, and are starting their own laundry service for NYC apartment buildings called Valet Laundry. Otto is off to Harvard Business School in two years, while Carlo will continue to balance his time between New York City and his native Rome.

What does it take to be an entrepreneur and a college student? The ability to multitask and the perfect blend of motivation, laziness, and an unusual obsession with laundry.





Why laundry? 
Carlo: Because Otto's really dirty. 
Otto: I worked for Lion Laundry for a semester and saw that there was a lot of money in the laundry business. Kids are lazy and no one wants to do their own laundry. 
Carlo: I actually hate washing my clothes. I never washed my clothes before Lion Laundry. 

Which of you is the brains? The beauty? 
Carlo: This is a trick question. I am both. 

Explain Operation: "Buy-Out-DormAid?" 
Carlo: The former owners were in talks with a lot of other people. They had to sell DormAid by a certain date this summer because one of the owners was getting a new job and running DormAid conflicted with the contract. We bought their Columbia branch in March. 
Otto: We originally sat down with them because we thought it was stupid to have two competing companies on campus. We assumed at first that they wanted to buy us out, but then they offered us the company. 

Your best service? 
Carlo: We're actually starting to offer a new service...it's a one-time trip to space. 
Otto: We provide water delivery and room cleaning, and sell mini-fridges and bedding.
Carlo: The coolest thing we do is sponsor the US Olympic Women's hockey team. 

How do you balance school and work? 
Otto: We don't. We don't do school. 
Carlo: The first time I went to my classes was a week ago for midterms. 

Carlo, will you be allowed to remain in the United States after you graduate? 
Carlo: That's a good question. It depends if you marry me or not. 

Other than laundry, what do you do? 
Otto: It's basically all I do. And I play hockey. 
Carlo: I enjoy sitting in the sun and drinking Mojitos. Wait, change that to a more manly drink--whiskey on the rocks. I also like fighting sharks. Can I be compared to Alexander the Great? 

Describe each other. 
Carlo: Ugly. He's ugly. 
Otto: A fool. 

Any lost and found souvenirs? 
Otto: I have someone's underwear on my floor--big, purple, lacey underwear. I have no idea whose it is. 

Favorite detergent? 
Carlo: I don't even know a single detergent company. 
Otto: Yeah, I have no idea.

2 comments:

  1. um yea...otto, I'm gonna need my underwear back...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you have a lost and found? If so, can you check to see if my virginity is in there? I seem to have lost it and was wondering if I may have left it in the pocket of one of my pants.
    Thanks

    ReplyDelete