Kohler Foundation grant to benefit student entrepreneurs
Lakeland University has received a $5,000 grant from the Kohler Foundation for the LU Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (LUCIE) which helps student startups overcome the financial barriers to launching a business.
LUCIE will set up a fund to cover the initial startup expenses and help students fill their first orders and generate revenue.
“When a student receives an initial order for a product, they typically need to buy equipment, software or supplies before they can fill the order or onboard a new customer,” said Stephanie Hoskins, Lakeland’s Herbert V. Kohler & Frank G. Jacobson Chair in Business and Entrepreneurship. “This financial burden creates a barrier to getting to market.”
The grant dollars are already at work. Student entrepreneur Max Wheeler, the creator of Platypus Puzzles, received an order for his puzzles and grant dollars were used to purchase the equipment and supplies needed to enable the production of puzzles.
Hoskins said the grant supports work at the Entrepreneurship Studio at Jake's, A Lakeland Community, in downtown Sheboygan, and complements efforts to feature upcoming student products in our Musko’s Campus Shop, Lakeland’s official apparel store.
