MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Ethan Eriksen, Barron High School junior, grabbed the title of “Wisconsin Young Entrepreneur of the Year” and a 5,000 scholarship at Junior Achievement of Wisconsin’s March Young Entrepreneur competition in Milwaukee. The nonprofit’s annual search for Wisconsin’s most promising teen business startups showcases young creatives from across the state who can’t wait until after high school to see their business dream become a reality.
Ethan’s pitch of his business, Shredrz Attire, impressed a panel of celebrity judges enough for him to pick up the grand prize from among three other finalists including Appleton’s Abby Sommer with SommerMedia Photography; North Fond du Lac’s Kaylee Dobke & Danielle Gustafson with Repeluxe and Verona’s Caden Vroman with Neighborhood Lawn Care who were each awarded $1,500 scholarships as semifinalists.
Known to friends and family as someone always ready to push the limits, Ethan has been shredding the slopes since the age of 9. “I noticed a gap in the market and I thought I could fix that problem,” said the young entrepreneur, who started his first business in elementary school. After working with overseas clothing designers on a number of iterations, Ethan landed on his custom-crafted ski and winter recreation apparel design which he calls both functional and stylish.
Finalists are scored on their business’ growth potential, strategic direction and innovation as well as personal integrity, leadership, and any special challenges they had to overcome in bringing their business to life. Celebrity judges included Mario Costantini, President of La Lune Collection; Craig Culver, Co-founder of Culver’s; Louis P. Gentine II, CEO of Sargento; Anna Lardinois, Storyteller of MKEStartup.News; and Jim Popp, CEO of Johnson Financial Group.
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on lessons that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills. Since 2021, more than 14,000 Junior Achievement volunteers have taught JA life skills to 340,000 Wisconsin students. For more information, visit Wisconsin.ja.org.
