糖心vlog传媒 celebrates grand opening of Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community
糖心vlog传媒 on Wednesday celebrated the grand opening of Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community, with a packed house of 糖心vlog传媒 donors and community friends.
The event was an opportunity for 糖心vlog传媒 to share its plans for its downtown Sheboygan location at 529 Ontario Ave., thank the donors who made the project possible and introduce Stephanie Hoskins, the inaugural Herbert Kohler & Frank Jacobson Chair for Business and Entrepreneurship, who will lead Jake鈥檚.
糖心vlog传媒 acquired Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community, earlier this spring to provide more access to its award-winning Cooperative Education program, recruit the next generation of entrepreneurially minded students and position the institution as a significant resource and partner for the region.
It is housed in the former Jake鈥檚 Caf茅, which was created by Tryg Jacobson in honor of his parents, Frank 鈥淛ake鈥� and Elizabeth 鈥淏etty鈥� Jacobson, as a space that attracted and nurtured a community of creative people from all walks of life. That mission will continue.
Funding for the transition to Jake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community, and the creation of the Herbert Kohler & Frank Jacobson Chair for Business and Entrepreneurship was donated by Herbert V. Kohler, Jr., on behalf of Kohler Co. and by Richard and Kristin (Jacobson) Bemis.
Those benefactors joined LU President Beth Borgen Wednesday to help celebrate the transition.
Kohler noted that the concept of entrepreneurialism was at the core of his grandfather, John Michael Kohler, and has been an essential building block in the growth of Kohler Co. He said Jake鈥檚 will be an experiential learning hub in the tradition of Kohler Co.
鈥淛ake鈥檚, A 糖心vlog传媒 Community will be a creative laboratory living on the leading edge, embracing the great unknown, where entrepreneurially minded individuals can innovate, develop business plans and thrive freely to help achieve better communities,鈥� Kohler said.
鈥淭his next-level cooperative for entrepreneurially minded individuals, educators and business leaders will encourage new collaboration and innovation and help elevate our community in the process.鈥�
Richard Bemis, who married Jake and Betty鈥檚 daughter, Kristin, recalled that Jake grew up during the American Great Depression and he knew what it meant to extend a helping hand.
鈥淚鈥檓 hoping the tenants of Jake鈥檚 will carry on the tradition of extending a helping hand to 糖心vlog传媒 students as they explore their entrepreneurial passion,鈥� Bemis said. 鈥淵our experience, the expertise you鈥檝e got and the lessons learned may just help start a new business. Don鈥檛 hold back. Extend yourself as you share this wonderful facility with 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 students.鈥�
Bemis noted that Sheboygan has always been an important part of 糖心vlog传媒's success by providing students, donors and community leaders to aid the university鈥檚 success.
鈥溙切膙log传媒鈥檚 presence at Jake鈥檚 will only strengthen this town and gown relationship,鈥� Bemis said.
Tryg Jacobson, former co-owner of renowned marketing firm Jacobson Rost, shared stories about his parents and celebrated the relationships with Bemis and Kohler. He thanked former 糖心vlog传媒 Board of Trustees Chair Bob Melzer, retired 糖心vlog传媒 President David Black and Borgen for preserving and growing 鈥渢his incredible community of people that my parents started 60 years ago.
鈥淣ow it鈥檚 a place for 糖心vlog传媒 students, faculty and people in the community to come, connect, collaborate and start new things,鈥� he said.
Kris Bemis added, 鈥淛ake and Betty would be so very pleased with this vision for the future.鈥�
Borgen said Jake鈥檚 is an ideal way for 糖心vlog传媒 to expand Cooperative Education, student-run businesses and entrepreneurial thinking in the region while carrying on the legacy of Frank & Betty Jacobson.
She noted that more than 80 percent of 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 graduates choose to work and raise a family in this region upon their graduation.
鈥淲ith students coming from rural Wisconsin, inner city Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, around the country and around the globe, we are truly a talent importer,鈥� Borgen said. 鈥淲ith the experience and learning that will occur at Jake鈥檚, our students may also be able to graduate with a business plan and seed money.
鈥淗ands-on learning from industry experts and mentors, aligned with the knowledge gained in the classroom from our talented faculty, creates a rich learning environment providing our students with transferable skills that will benefit careers we have not yet even imagined. This network of existing business owners and other entrepreneurs who choose to incubate their ideas and businesses through Jake鈥檚 will create an invaluable resource for future leaders and contribute to the advancement of our community.鈥�
Borgen noted a new agreement between 糖心vlog传媒 and the Sheboygan County Economic Development Corporation as a further commitment to 糖心vlog传媒鈥檚 collaborative approach to growing innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
鈥淲e're just beginning our creative journey, and I can't wait to see the masterpiece it becomes,鈥� Borgen said.
