Interview with Peter Hadjipateras

The “Got Greek of the Week” interview with Peter Hadjipateras: His campus-based business plan delivers.

PETER HADJIPATERAS is a sophomore at Georgetown University where he’s pursuing a major in English and a minor in both psychology and Greek. An honor roll student, all-star fundraiser for children in Darfur, and award-winning wrestler in high school, Peter balances his interests in politics and business with his passions for writing, skiing, sailing and, yes, beekeeping. His seagoing experience aboard tankers as an Ordinary Seaman and as a Cadet helps explain why Peter may be bound for a career in shipping. But his latest water-related venture — in his spare time, Peter co-founded a business last fall on Georgetown’s campus — reveals a classic Greek entrepreneur ready to take on the world.

Here are some excerpts from the “Got Greek of the Week” interview with Peter Hadjipateras:

Q: You and several friends at Georgetown have started a business called H2Bro. Describe what the business does, and how you got interested.

A: H2Bro Delivery started as an idea back in the fall of 2009 when my friend Andrew and I noticed that it is pretty difficult to get large quantities of beverages to one’s dorm. The business name was thought of pretty early on, and after about a month of joking around about it, we began to develop a more serious business plan.

After we had done some research and talked to a lawyer, we got an LLC for the business, created a spreadsheet and company logo and began advertising. Marketing has been our biggest hurdle but it has also been our biggest progression as a company. We have started to get our name out on campus. Business is beginning to pick up and we are confident and optimistic about the company’s progress.

Q: What are the biggest challenges of running a business with friends?

A: Working with your friends is an interesting and variable experience. Most of the time, we are all very enthusiastic and attentive to our roles in the company and put in as much time and effort as possible.

However, we are students first and foremost, so it can be difficult to run things smoothly when some of us are swamped with work and others don’t have any that week. All in all, it’s great to work with friends. I feel as if  everyone in H2Bro looks out for the well-being of the company and feels a personal connection, since we have all played a significant part in creating it.

Q: Dream job?

A: I try not to get to caught up in what I’ll be doing in the future. But I would love to work in the business world, having something to do with shipping, and have as many entrepreneurship investments as possible on the side.

Q: What drives you on a day to day basis?

A: I like to make the most of my time, and I am very passionate about Georgetown. So those two things, in combination, help me stay productive and work towards contributing to either my friends or the Georgetown community as a whole.


Q: Favorite Greek dish?

A: “Authentic” Greek souvlaki. But I have never had any outside of Greece that’s been comparable.

Q: Is there a Greek-related object you own that you really value?

A: I have a wooden box with an anchor on it. I guess it reminds me both of Greece and of working at sea, two things that play a big role in shaping who I am and two things I am very passionate about.