Podcast
Podcast
How do you turn a college side project into a company serving thousands of clients across the country? For Zachary Collins, it started with a single PayPal button and a high school production of Phantom of the Opera.
Zachary is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ludus, a fast-growing software company serving over 4,500 performing arts organizations across the United States. What began as a freshman-year idea to simplify ticketing for schools has evolved into a powerful operating platform for theaters, community centers, and performing arts venues nationwide.
In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Zachary opens up about building through the pandemic, setting boundaries with family, and why success starts with small, consistent habits. He also shares his philosophy on balance, creativity, and the simple power of getting started.
Zachary Collins is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ludus, a software platform trusted by thousands of performing arts organizations to power their box office ticketing, marketing, and fundraising. Under his leadership, Ludus has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the performing arts technology space — processing $80 million in order volume, filling over 5.5 million seats, and earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America list in 2024. In 2025, the company secured a $12 million investment from Mamba Growth Equity to accelerate its mission.
An entrepreneur since his early teens, Zachary previously founded and sold multiple successful ventures, including Twtbase, Yazzem, and Mabzy, as well as developing the original Google Buzz share button (which served over a million shares per day) and a Google+ ad network. His early innovations earned him recognition from TechCrunch, who named him a Teen Entrepreneur to Watch, and from .net Magazine, which nominated him as a Top 10 Young Developer of the Year.
At Ludus, Zachary combines his passion for technology, creativity, and community to help performing arts organizations grow their audiences, strengthen donor relationships, and create sustainable revenue models. He believes in building businesses that solve real problems while bringing people together, and continues to advocate for innovation that supports art, education, and local culture.
How do you turn a college side project into a company serving thousands of clients across the country? For Zachary Collins, it started with a single PayPal button and a high school production of Phantom of the Opera.
Zachary is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ludus, a fast-growing software company serving over 4,500 performing arts organizations across the United States. What began as a freshman-year idea to simplify ticketing for schools has evolved into a powerful operating platform for theaters, community centers, and performing arts venues nationwide.
In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Zachary opens up about building through the pandemic, setting boundaries with family, and why success starts with small, consistent habits. He also shares his philosophy on balance, creativity, and the simple power of getting started.
• Early Career: Built his first web apps at 12 and founded Ludus in college.
• Big Challenge: Survived the pandemic as a two-person team before scaling to thousands of clients.
• Turning Point: Realized the size and opportunity of the performing arts SMB market.
• Personal Growth: Found balance through structure, health, and reading.
• Business Success: Built Ludus into one of the most trusted performing arts software companies in the U.S.
• Future Vision: Continue scaling while keeping creativity, family, and joy at the core.
👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Zachary Collins
