Samantha Snabes is the co-founder and CEO of re:3D, a bootstrapped Austin and Houston-based company that makes industrial-scale 3D printers — manufactured entirely in America. She's also an Air National Guard officer, a former NASA strategist, and the only woman CEO leading a US-based 3D printing hardware company.

In this episode, Samantha shares with PV Bala, SCORE Mentor, how a group of friends turned a side project into a globally recognized manufacturing company — from forming an LLC on New Year's Eve to meet a Startup Chile deadline, to getting funded on Kickstarter in 27 hours, to earning multiple SBIR awards from the National Science Foundation.

What you'll learn:

• How re:3D went from a living room to customers in 55+ countries without taking outside investment
• Why field research in Rwanda and Nicaragua shaped a product built for real-world impact, not hype
• How to navigate the SBIR grant process as a first-time applicant, including what to do when you miss the deadline
• The real trade-offs of bootstrapping a hardware company in America — from reinvesting every dollar of profit to maintaining a vertically integrated supply chain
• How military service provides unexpected advantages in entrepreneurship, compliance, and leadership.
• Why printing from recycled plastic waste became both a social mission and a competitive differentiator
• Samantha's advice for retired engineers and late-career entrepreneurs entering 3D printing and deep tech.

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

What if you could skip the costliest mistakes in business — before you ever sign a lease or drain your savings? In this special compilation episode, we break down the best insights from 20 SCORE Houston mentorship sessions into one high-impact guide.

You'll learn the "Five Numbers Test" for validating any business idea, why most businesses die from working capital — not bad products, when to form an LLC (and why doing it too early wastes your money), how to build a bulletproof business plan — even if you're self-funded, creative funding strategies including SBA loans and retirement fund rollovers, low-risk sales tactics like the consignment hack and niche marketing, the surprising math behind buying an existing business versus starting from scratch, and the leadership shift every founder must make to scale beyond themselves.

Featuring wisdom from over 135 volunteer business mentors — retired executives, successful entrepreneurs, and industry veterans — this episode is your free masterclass in building, buying, and leading a business that lasts

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.

Should you start a business from scratch, buy an existing one, or invest in a franchise? In this episode of the Score Houston Podcast, host and SCORE mentor PV Bala talks to Jeffrey Jones — President of Advanced Business Brokers, certified business appraiser, and a SCORE mentor with over 35 years of experience helping entrepreneurs buy and sell businesses in the Houston metro area.

Jeff shares insider knowledge on:

· Why buying a business is statistically safer than starting one (90% of startups fail vs. 70% success rate for acquisitions)

· How business valuation works — from tangible assets to discretionary earnings and EBITDA multiples

· SBA loan requirements, seller financing structures, and how deals actually get funded

· The role of confidentiality in business transactions and why brokers are essential

· What corporate professionals transitioning to entrepreneurship should consider

· The Houston business landscape — from restaurants to B2B service companies

· Red flags to watch for in financial statements during due diligence

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, a corporate executive exploring business ownership, or a SCORE client looking for guidance on your next move, this conversation delivers decades of real-world brokerage experience in one episode.

Let us know what you think of this episode. What subjects you would like us to cover in next episodes.

Give your comments at https://scorehoustonpodcast.blogspot.com or write to pv.bala@scorevolunteer.org. Let us know what you like of this episode and suggest subjects on which you wish to know more.