Eastern Michigan University’s Center for Entrepreneurship in Ypsilanti recently concluded the Executive Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Venture Challenge, an eight-week certificate program, by naming the two winners — Paul Reiss and Jonathan Marceau. Reiss was awarded the $25,000 prize and Marceau earned the $5,000 prize.
The Executive Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Venture Challenge exposes participants to academics, industry experts, mentors, professional coaches, and startup investors. Last Nov. 18, 12 participants graduated from the Fall 2023 cohort.
Reiss is the co-founder and CEO of Protein Pints, a protein-packed ice cream with the same macronutrients as a protein shake or bar. He is pursuing higher education by studying entrepreneurship at Michigan State University in East Lansing and running his company.
With the $25,000 prize, he hopes to transition from making the ice cream himself at local shops to begin working with a co-manufacturer to accelerate the brand’s growth and fulfill the demand for more products in stores.
“I feel extremely grateful to have won,” says Reiss. “It shows how far we have come in the past year since starting Protein Pints. I recognize that winning $25,000 is a big responsibility. We have a lot of work to do and are just getting started.”
Marceau is the founder of Synapse Creations and was invited by the center’s director, Sanjib Chowdhury, to participate in the venture challenge. Marceau states the event was an excellent opportunity to learn and grow as an entrepreneur in preparation for developing his web application, Spelling Safari, an elementary classroom tool that individualizes spelling instruction and learning for students while saving teachers time and energy.
He plans to use the $5,000 prize to fund the development of Spelling Safari’s beta version, which is set to release in the summer of 2024. The prize money also will help market this product to investors and the public.
“Don’t wait for the right moment to start working on your idea,” says Marceau. “Find events and opportunities to grow your network and keep doing the next best thing.”
To learn more about EMU’s CFE, visit the webpage. To get involved in the Executive Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Venture Challenge, visit the website or contact Sanjib Chowdhury at sanjib.chowdhury@emich.edu.
