Thomas Rivas

Here’s the tea on Thomas Rivas, this guy’s the real deal in the e-commerce world. Started selling online back in high school, like 2007, no joke, he’s been in the game forever. While most of us were just messing around, he was already hustling on eBay, Grailed, Amazon, all the big resale platforms. That hands-on grind? Yeah, that’s what shaped him.

Fast forward to college at the University of Maryland, where he double-majored in International Business and Marketing. Dude’s always been about understanding markets and how to scale stuff. During those college years, he wasn’t just hitting the books, he was building web and Android apps, getting deep into tech, and figuring out how to solve real problems.

And here’s where it gets wild. He saw how annoying it was to sell on multiple marketplaces, juggling listings, inventory, all that bullshit. It’s a nightmare, right? Instead of just complaining, he jumped into solving it. In 2017, he launched Vendoo, a tool to help resellers manage all their listings across different platforms in one shot. Think about it, he basically built a solution from his own pain points, and it blew up. Now Vendoo’s backed by YC in W22, that’s a big deal, shows he’s got something really useful.

What’s cool about Thomas? He’s not just some guy chasing a quick buck. He’s got this mission to help small resellers scale up, make an impact, and turn their side hustle into something bigger. Vendoo is minority-owned, based in DC, and it’s all about empowering others, that’s his vibe.

Honestly, his process screams passion, hustle, and a deep understanding of the grind. He’s been in the trenches, seen the bullshit of multichannel selling, and built the perfect tool to fix it. That’s what makes him important, he’s not just a founder, he’s someone who’s lived the pain, then turned around and crushed it with a solution that actually works. No Cap, this guy’s a legit innovator and a role model for anyone trying to turn their struggles into something meaningful.