Success is Brewing with UWEC’s Very First Entrepreneur Week

Tom Giffey |

Marieke Penterman, owner of Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp, maker of award-winning Goudas. Penterman is presenting on Thursday, Oct. 8.
Marieke Penterman, owner of Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp, maker of award-winning Goudas. Penterman is presenting on Thursday, Oct. 8.

In an effort to heat up the Chippewa Valley’s already simmering entrepreneurial culture, the UW-Eau Claire College of Business is about to hold its first-ever Entrepreneur Week Oct. 5-8. Over four days, attendees will be inspired by successful local, national, and even international businesspeople who will speak about their entrepreneurial careers in fields ranging from land development to coffee to cheesemaking. They will also be able to learn about organizations that are helping prospective startups and mingle with other entrepreneurial-minded folks. All the events are open to the public – these aren’t just for students! – but you are encouraged to RSVP. Here’s a rundown on the speakers and events:

Startup Stories: Seattle's Best Coffee and the Search for the Best Beans

Monday, Oct. 5, 5-6:30pm, UWEC Haas Fine Arts Lobby, 121 Water St.

Enjoy Costa Rican coffee while UWEC alum Jim Stewart and his wife, Luz Marina Trujillo, talk about the coffee trade, including how Stewart’s business, Seattle’s Best Coffee, evolved from a single shop into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Starbucks. They’ll discuss starting and running businesses in the United States and Costa Rica, as well as the distinction between fair trade and direct trade coffee.

Startup Stories: From Retail to Real Estate: Lessons From a Lifelong Entrepreneur

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 5-6:30pm, UWEC Davies Center, Ojibwe Ballroom C (330C)

In more than 50 years as an entrepreneur, Eau Claire’s Dick Larson has done almost everything: The founder of Larson Companies began a fabric business in 1963, then moved on to owning shopping centers, apartments, hotels, offices, and more, as well as developing raw land. Find out what he’s learned from his half-century in the business world. (Refreshments and beverages will be served.) 

Ignite Wisconsin's Kick-Off Event: How Do You Eat an Elephant?

Wednesday, Oct. 7, 5-7pm, Acoustic Café, 505 S. Barstow St.

Ignite Wisconsin wants to light entrepreneurial fires by encouraging networking with successful business owners. The group’s kick-off event features a talk by Jack Kaiser of Cigan Properties, who will discuss how he helped turn a former tire factory in the bustling, multi-use Banbury Place, which has more than 150 tenants.

Startup Stories: Finding Your Niche and Going for It

Thursday, Oct. 8, 5-6:30pm, The Volume One Gallery, 205 N. Dewey St.

Two local businesswomen will discuss how they found and filled market niches in a way that put them on the road to success: Mickey Judkins is CEO of Details, a designer fashion store in Eau Claire; Marieke Penterman is owner of Holland’s Family Cheese in Thorp, maker of award-winning Goudas. Come down for samples of Marieke’s cheese, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. Afterward, you’re invited to shoot the breeze with entrepreneurs beginning at 7:30pm at the Brewing Projekt Taproom, 2000 N. Oxford Ave. 

For full details of all these events, check out the website.