Jessica Wegener creates a business making customizable elderberry syrup kits | Green Bay Press-Gazette

What started as a healthy endeavor for her family is turning into a business for Jessica Wegener of Whitelaw.

Wegener, the second-place winner in the Progress Lakeshore Level Up Pitch Contest held in November, is seeing an unexpected interest in her elderberry syrup kits. And the process itself started in an unpredictable way.

Wegener said, “I was getting my hair done and the owner of Healthy Hippie (Maria Havlik) started talking to me and when I told her about my elderberry syrup kits, she said that I had something to offer and needed to start a business.”

Havlik, whose business is also in the holistic health products arena, recommended that Wegener contact Progress Lakeshore, Manitowoc County’s economic development agency. Wegener did just that and was introduced to Ann Flad-Jesion, director of entrepreneurship & business development.

“Ann was a big help,” Wegener said. “She was an absolute wealth of knowledge. I wouldn’t be in business if it weren’t for Progress Lakeshore. Or, if I was, I would have a lot of violations.”

GRB: Jessica Wegener creates a business making customizable elderberry syrup kits

Jessica attended UW-Green Bay SBDC class.