Congratulations to Post student Jared Zima who was the recipient of multiple awards from the CT Entrepreneur Awards including “Student Entrepreneur of the Year!” He also won an award for “Scalable Venture,” an award not limited to students, meaning he was competing against all entrepreneurial ventures in CT.
In January 2020, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) was launched, and Jared Zima was the very first student to utilize it.
“Jared is a talented entrepreneur with a big vision, and the drive to build ReliefWax into a growing industry leader. Jared winning these prestigious awards is a great testament to the hard work of the folks in the Malcolm Baldrige School of Business and the resilience of our students during a difficult year,” said eCenter Coordinator Brandon Monti.
While Zima had a clear business plan, Monti and some faculty members from the MBSOB worked alongside him to refine some details and build his confidence in being an entrepreneur.
“Suffice it to say, I could not be more proud of Jared; in the end, it was he who had to have the vision and the courage to pursue his business and make it successful, and he has! Starting a business can be a very lonely proposition with a lot of negativity from people who don’t understand where you’re trying to go. We wanted the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation to be a positive lighthouse for our student entrepreneurs. A place where they would be challenged in a positive way to bring their ideas to market. To date, our mission has been working. For Jared to win Student Entrepreneur of the Year award is proof that our methodologies, our personalized care, and our positivity can lead to very successful student entrepreneurs” said Dean of Malcolm Baldrige School of Business Dr. Jeremi Bauer.
There are currently over 50 students working in the CEI, who are motivated and inspired by Zima’s success.
“I believe that our Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is a force for good for our students, our school, our University, and the community; and Jared just proved that very publicly” said Bauer.