Small Business Saturday: 6 Businesses Run by UWM Alumni
To celebrate Small Business Saturday, we are highlighting six local businesses run by UWM alumni! Read more about each business and how they found success.
Carvd N Stone
Nyesha Stone
UWM ’18 BA in Journalism
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“Carvd N Stone is a news company and marketing agency that reports on positive news and provides positive branding. CNS started in Milwaukee but has grown nationally. If you want to learn more about CNS visit us online or @carvdnstone on all socials.”
How has UWM helped your business goals?
“UWM taught me everything I know about journalism. They gave me the knowledge to enter into the world of journalism, and then not only have the skills but confidence to start my own news company.”
Craft Beverage Warehouse
Kyle Stephens
UWM ’11 BBA in Accounting
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“My business, Craft Beverage Warehouse, prints aluminum beverage cans for small to mid-sized beverage producers (mostly breweries). You can check us out online or just take a stroll through your local grocer or liquor store aisles and if you see a small-batch printed can (rather than a plastic sleeve or sticker label), chances are we printed it!”
How has UWM helped your business goals?
“Being involved with UWM post-graduation via the Lubar College of Business Alumni Chapter, then moving to the UWM Alumni Association board of directors has helped me gain confidence as a business professional and entrepreneur. Both groups have helped me connect with other alumni professionals in the business community which opened me up to new perspectives and opportunities.”
International Travel Advisor
Mitchelle Lyle
UWM Ignite Startup Incubator
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“ITA is an organization that provides a one-stop-shop for creatives, remote workers and freelance entrepreneurs to educate themselves on the affordability, awareness and travel logistics to relocate to another country, maximizing the freedom to curate a personal version of work-life balance where productivity is the focus and fully embracing life is the priority.”
How has UWM helped your business goals?
“UWM really helped me launch my startup when I enrolled in the Ignite Startup Incubator program led by Matt Friedel. The series gave me a great overview of what entrepreneurship looks and feels like, how I need to prepare and what to look forward to. Matt continues to be a mentor to this day.”
“I went on to later win the WiSys Big Idea Tournament, being the first UWM representative to take first place. The support and feedback I received helped me really dig into building a robust business model canvas and communicate my process effectively.”
Geno.Me
Britt Gottschalk
UWM ’15 BA in Psychology
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“GenoMe is a data exchange platform that allows people to link their medical, genetic and genomic records so they can be searched for and purchased by medical research institutions. Their dataset is de-identified, and once a contributor’s data is purchased, they are compensated with a cash payout.”
How has UWM and/or the Milwaukee community helped your business?
“UWM has helped bring awareness to the Milwaukee community about our organization’s mission to allow people to have greater control over accessing and sharing their health data.”
Sprecher Brewery
Sharad Chadha
UWM ’98 MBA
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“Sprecher Brewing Co. is based in Milwaukee and is the oldest craft brewery of Milwaukee, WI since Prohibition.”
How has UWM helped your business goals?
“Learning business management helped my career in business.”
The Panaro Group LLC
Kathy Panaro
UWM ’89 Behavioral Psychology, Human Resources and Business
Tell us about what your business does and how people can find your business:
“Our services include: technical recruiting — project based recruiting, Rent-A-Recruiter, executive search, outplacement services, executive & leadership Coaching and talent acquisition process consulting.
“Our specialty areas are engineering, manufacturing, architecture/ design, construction and facilities (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC), technical sales and marketing, technology and data, finance & accounting.
“You can find us online, email recruiter@panarogroup.com or call 262–746–3200.”
How has UWM and/or the Milwaukee community helped your business?
“I was born and raised in Milwaukee, and I appreciate the diversity in people, culture, creativity and art that the city brings to our lives. Over the years, our firm has grown to be one of the largest boutique technical recruiting firms serving Milwaukee and greater Midwest markets. I owe a lot of our success to Milwaukee relationships and referrals. Small-waukee is the best place to own a business because the people are so kind and family-like.”
“Our unique recruiting model gets results. People only refer when they see results. We give our clients access to passive candidates that might not have known about their company or job opening, had they not engaged us to do their recruiting. I enjoy developing a true partnership with our clients as we help them grow their businesses and technical teams to achieve their business goals. We have hired high-priority employees, built departments, hired a group for a new shift and hired key executive leaders to take a company into a new direction or hyper-growth mode. I often work with presidents and VP talent/HR of small to medium size companies that do not have technical recruiting experts on staff.”
“We also work with technical departments such as engineering and IoT for larger companies. Our service model is very high-touch and high-service. We use data to drive our results and process. However, we will remain human-centric while other recruiting firms go to AI.”
“Nothing replaces a good conversation with a candidate and hiring manager when trying to find the perfect match. Cultural fit is essential. Personal connections…that is the Milwaukee way, and I wouldn’t have it any other way! UWM taught me at a young age that business is not about transactions, it is about developing authentic relationships. We become very good friends with our clients and candidates, bringing them together to find success!”
We are Panther Proud to share our alumni’s entrepreneurship! If you’re working on starting a business or looking for resources to advance your business, check out our Lubar Entrepreneurship Center to see how UWM can help you reach your goals.
