College textbooks exchange idea wins Spring 2019 UW-Green Bay Student Business Idea Contest

Three business administration majors won the Spring 2019 UW-Green Bay Student Business Idea Contest with Bookbates, an idea for a better college textbook (and other books) exchange experience. Students Garriet Kanis, Wyatt Smet and Zach Zeutzius took the first place $500 prize on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. Kanis, Smet, and Zeutzius will pitch Bookbates as one of the two UW-Green Bay teams at The Pitch on Thursday, April 11, 2019 where they will compete with teams from five other Northeast Wisconsin colleges and universities for a first prize of $10,000 in cash and $15,000 in in-kind services.

Marissa Dyess (Business Administration) took the $250 cash second prize with Quick Jobs, her idea for a student-centered job placement and resume service.James Schierl (Business Administration) and Carol Brehmer (Business Administration) pitched EIR Apparel, a belt that does not pinch for those active in sports such as skateboarding. The team also includes Matt Halbur (Business Administration) and Ebanie Schmidt (Design Arts). The team will represent UW-Green Bay at the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament on Saturday, April 13, 2019.

Johnny Gomez (Business Administration) pitched Easy Lease to a $50 fourth place finish. Easy Lease is a blockchain-based app that brings landlords and potential tenants together and includes services for both types of users such as lease signing and rent payments. The team developing Easy Lease also includes Chelsea Georgia (Business Administration) and Susan Xiong (Business Administration).

 Judges for the contest represented the following organizations: Bank First, City of Green Bay, gBETA Northeast Wisconsin, Greater Green Bay Chamber, Oneida Nation, and WWBIC.

For more information on UW-Green Bay’s Entrepreneurship program, please see the UW-Green Bay Business Week 2019 events at or contact Entrepreneurship lecturer Ryan Kauth at KauthR@uwgb.edu.