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UW-Green Bay, Marinette Campus student Nathan Bihini placed second at the “Invent Your North” Hatch Event on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019. Bihini’s success at the pitch event qualifies him to compete for the $5,000 grand prize in Green Bay on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019 for the Hatch Regional Finale, presented by New North and BrightStar.
He extends his gratitude to Associate Lecturer, Sue Craver, for her mentorship and guidance during this process.
Titletown Tech and UW-Green Bay entrepreneur-in-residence Aaron Kennedy wants to “bolster the community’s standing among startups and prepare the next generation of business-starters for the challenges ahead.” More via Aaron Kennedy founded Noodles & Co. and helped launch Lunchables. His next project: Green Bay | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
UW-Green Bay alumni Craig Dickman ’82 (Business Administration) (far left) helped kick off Startup Wisconsin Week. The Urban Hub, powered by the Greater Green Bay Chamber, in collaboration with Headway, kicked off Startup Wisconsin Week on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, with the kickoff of Startup Green Bay at the Urban Hub at 340 N. Broadway, 2nd floor, Green Bay. Startup Green Bay is a local observance of the statewide initiative focused on supporting high-growth entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the community. Green Bay is one of nine communities offering 100 unique programming events statewide from Monday, Nov. 11 through Sunday, Nov. 17. This marks the third year for Green Bay’s involvement in the week-long observance.
The room was full for The Oilerie® owner Curt Campbell, who appeared both on Shark Tank and on Beyond the Tank. Campbell spoke to the UW-Green Bay’sCollegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (C.E.O.) student organization on campus on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019. Like his appearance on Beyond the Tank, Campbell’s talk 
reflected on how he grew his business anyway when he did not get a deal onShark Tank. The Oilerie® now has six locations in four states. For more information on C.E.O. at UW-Green Bay, please visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/UWGBCEO(@UWGBCEO).
UW-Green Bay alumni Craig Dickman and Cordero Barkley gave a talk to and tour to the UW-Green Bay Entrepreneurial Finance Class On Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, despite the snowy commute. The class learned about Titletown Tech’s venture capital fund and what types of businesses they are looking to invest in. Dickman and Barkley are two of the five partners in charge of the fund.
Photo submitted by Craig Dickman
One of the youngest serial entrepreneurs in Northeast Wisconsin, Zack Pawlosky, was recently on campus giving a talk to the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (C.E.O.) student organization. Pawlosky talked about what he’s learned from building the digital marketing firm Candeo Creative, selling his business, and launching venture capital fund Atlene. With that launch, Pawlosky became one of the youngest venture capitalists in Northeast Wisconsin. Atlene will focus on making seed investments into companies focused on artificial intelligence (A.I.) platforms and other A.I. products. Pawlosky is based in Oshkosh. See the facebook page for more information on C.E.O. and upcoming speakers.
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay student Maria Arunkumar (Business Administration) earned a spot in the Top 8 Finalists in the Idea Generators track at the 2019 Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization Global Pitch Competition in Tampa, Florida with her idea for a better wedding planning experience, the Build-a-Wedding app. Preliminary rounds took place on Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, and the finals took place on Saturday, Nov. 2. This was the first year that UW-Green Bay earned 1 of 40 automatic berths into the competition.
Arunkumar is the co-president of the UW-Green Bay chapter of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. She placed third in the Fall 2018 UW-Green Bay Student Business Idea Pitch Contest and first in the Light Up the Lakeshore Business Idea Competition in Two Rivers in August 2018. Her success in these competitions led to local press coverage and a television interview.
Ebanie Schmidt ‘19 (Art) was presented with the first UW-Green Bay Entrepreneurship Program Alumni Award when she spoke to the Entrepreneurial Finance class on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. Schmidt spoke about her business, Ebanie & Ivorie LLC, her latest work, her part-time jobs as she builds her business, what she learned in the UW-Green Bay entrepreneurship program, and about her latest venture, PIVOTAL.
The UW-Green Bay Entrepreneurship Program Alumni Award was established in 2019 as a match award for UW-Green Bay alumni who have earned an emphasis/concentration, major, minor, or certificate in entrepreneurship and are furthering their entrepreneurship education via conferences, certifications, and the like to further their businesses. Schmidt’s business, Ebanie and Ivorie LLC, is a made-to-order natural fibers custom clothing business that also offers classes in sewing, dyeing, knitting and crocheting. Schmidt will be using the award to attend the Association of Sewing and Design Professionals 2019 Annual Educational Conference in Milwaukee, Oct. 17-20.
Pictured is Schmidt in attire with her company logo, UW-Green Bay entrepreneurship lecturer Ryan Kauth (right), and UW-Green Bay Entrepreneurship and Human Development student Carol Brehmer reading the award citation. Brehmer is a student in the Entrepreneurial Finance class and is Schmidt’s partner in their venture PIVOTAL.
Photo credit Kayla Lilly Photography (UW-Green Bay entrepreneurship student Kayla Wendland).
Green Bay entrepreneurs Bed Cadman of Voyageurs Sourdough and Sam Brown of Coffee Wizardz recently spoke to members of the UW-Green Bay Entrepreneurial Finance class about their successful crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter to help finance the growth of their new businesses. Both entrepreneurs raised money above their goals and used the campaigns to further the marketing of their businesses.
Cadman is buying new equipment to bake more sourdough loaves and is planning a new location in the Rail Yard Innovation District in downtown Green Bay. The business has grown in the last year to 300 sourdough loaves per week. Brown’s funds will be used for a coffee roaster and he is planning a heightened presence at local farmers markets and pop-up experiences—including in Cadman’s new space—with his unusually cool coffee drinks (said to involve a bit of wizardry).
UW-Green Bay’s Entrepreneurial Finance class takes place in the fall semester and is part of the entrepreneurship program, which is open to UW-Green Bay students of all majors. Other courses include eEntrepreneurship & Digital Management (online Fall and Spring); Small Business Management & Family Entrepreneurship (online Fall and January interim and Spring and Summer); and New Venture Acceleration (Spring).
‘Selfie’ photo credit Ben Cadman (left).
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay alumna Jennifer Nowicki ’19 (Business Administration) has been an entrepreneur almost her entire adult life. She has worked in the tea industry for 25 years and is Wisconsin’s only certified tea specialist (Specialty Tea Institute ’09). In addition, she has co-owned a coffeehouse, owned a tearoom in Milwaukee, and has been a representative for the United States Tea Industry in two world tea conferences.
Nowicki is currently taking on a new challenge. Hers was one of three “pop-up shops” to be announced as a finalist in the Two Rivers Pop-Up Shop Contest, recently. Her shop, “Cultivate Taste,” a specialty tea shop, opens Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019. It is located near the “Field to Fork” restaurant at 510 S. 8th St. in Sheboygan.
After obtaining a minor in business, Nowicki returned to UW-Geen Bay to major in Business Administration and was encouraged by UW-Green Bay entrepreneurship lecturer, Ryan Kauth (Cofrin School of Business), to get involved in business competitions. “I think the contests help validate my experience and education,” said Nowicki.
With her knowledge and years of experience in the tea industry, Nowicki would like to own one physical retail location and eventually have a tearoom again. “I enjoyed having a physical location when I had my tearoom in Milwaukee and developed quite a few loyal customers,” said Nowicki. “I see this as part of my business.” In addition to her pop-up shop, Nowicki sells her tea online and wholesale, a side of the business she also hopes to grow.
Kauth says Nowicki has what it takes to be an entrepreneur: “Jennifer has grit: passion for what she does and the perseverance to see her business ownership goals through. No matter what,” he said. “She also is a lifetime learner. It helps if entrepreneurs are curious and ask a lot of ‘Why?’ questions. Jennifer coming to UWGB to finish her degree and pushing herself in competitions is what got her where she is. That’s also why the Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs invited her this past spring.”
Being an entrepreneur has seemingly always been in Nowicki’s DNA. Along the way, she said it has been important to have the courage to try new things and consult the advice of others.
“I think I always had an entrepreneurial mindset and even asked small business owners what it took to be one in my 20s,” said Nowicki. “If I do not know something, I am not afraid to get the education I need to succeed or figure it out if formal education is not there.”
Photos submitted. Story by Marketing and University Communication Student Assistant, Joshua Konecke.