Season 9 Is Looking for Entrepreneurs!
The one place in Wisconsin where ...
Entrepreneurship + Education + Entertainment
= Inspiration!
Engage. Learn. Enjoy! Watch Project Pitch It! Watch Wisconsin entrepreneurs pitch their dynamic ideas to a panel of leading business moguls who question, advise, and challenge the participants to take their ventures to the next level. In each episode, three entrepreneurs demonstrate their game-changing innovations and vie for weekly awards valued at more than $40,000. Awards include:
The Project Pitch It Award
The Peg Ann and David Gruber $10,000 Project Pitch It Award is meant to assist you in getting to your next level toward success.
Jerry Jendusa BREAKTHRU/UW-Milwaukee Award
Jerry Jendusa BREAKTHRU/UW-Milwaukee Award will provide you with mentoring from BreakthruU to help you untap your potential and address your business needs. In addition, this award includes $5000 in cash.
We Energies/Milwaukee Admirals Award
We Energies and the Milwaukee Admirals are pleased to award $1500 in cash to help you work toward achieving your goals. In addition, We Energies and The Milwaukee Admirals will provide at least one session of mentoring in the area of marketing from a company leader.
TITLE SPONSOR
Thanks to UW-Milwaukee’s Lubar Entrepreneurship Center from
Project Pitch It Executive Producer/Creator, Bev Greenberg.
Meet the Moguls
Project Pitch It Executive Producer/Creator, Bev Greenberg, extends heartfelt thanks to the Moguls, whose commitment and support help make Project Pitch It a reality. The Project Pitch It moguls have their own self-made inspirational success stories to share. Each never gave up, had goals, valued education, and took risks. All are dedicated to helping other Wisconsin entrepreneurs untap their human potential and achieve their business dreams. Photo: John Grant Photography
Jerry Jendusa
Host and Executive Producer of Project Pitch It, Jerry started BreakthrU Strategies to follow his passion for helping individuals and teams untap their full potential through his involvement in business advising, entrepreneurial endeavors, and giving back to the community. He does this by telling the story of how he grew his company, EMTEQ, from a basement start-up to an international 100M business. He lives to help other entrepreneurs and individuals to “breakthrough” and follow their dreams. Along with BreakthrU, Jerry started BLU, a company focused on making the world a better place, one leader at a time through leadership development and a simply effective business operating system.
Jerry is a co-chair of Scale Up Milwaukee, an advisory member for the UWM Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship’s Entrepreneurship in Residence Program, and a judge for the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” from 2019-2024. In addition, Jerry helps kids and families untap their fullest potential through his involvement with the Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, the Pat Connaughton Foundation, and acting as a board member for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s Mental and Behavioral Health group.
Jerry recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2023 BizTimes Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum in Milwaukee. Read about it Here.
Harris Turer
Harris Turer joins Project Pitch It as a Mogul in Season 8. Harris is currently in his 19th season as the principal owner of the Milwaukee Admirals Hockey Club. Turer helped lead a group of Milwaukee area businessmen in the purchase of the team in April of 2005 from the estate of the late Jane Bradley Pettit.
Since Turer’s purchase of the Admirals, the organization has become particularly visible in the community through activities and donations. The team started its own charitable arm called the Power Play Foundation with the goal of providing money to non-profit organizations in southeastern Wisconsin, particularly those focused on youth oriented organizations and activities. Since 2006, the Power Play Foundation and the team have donated over $3,000,000 that has come from various activities, promotions, and donations.
Turer is active in the Milwaukee community on a personal level serving on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Clubs. He also has a scholarship fund at the Boys and Girls Clubs named for his grandfather, Harry Soref, the founder of Master Lock Company. The scholarships provide kids from the Boys and Girls Clubs with up to 75% of room, board and tuition to colleges and universities in the state of Wisconsin each year.
Turer has also been a minority owner with the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club since late 1996 under Bud Selig’s ownership. He continued to stay on as an owner when Mark Attanasio purchased the team in 2004, and, in turn, Attanasio invested in the Admirals when Turer purchased the team in 2005.
Turer graduated from Nicolet High School in 1984 and UWM in 1988 with a degree in Business Administration. He and his wife Pam live in Milwaukee.
Gale Klappa
Gale Klappa joined Project Pitch It as a Mogul in Season 6. He is the Executive Chairman of WEC Energy Group and a Director of Associated Banc-Corp. Gale also is co-chair of the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development initiative and serves on the UWM School of Business Advisory Council. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of WEC Energy Group, the parent company of We Energies.
In 2023, Klappa was inducted into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
Gale sits down with Podcast, Inside the ICE House to discuss the business of WEC Energy Group and its emphasis on Affordable, Reliable, and Clean (ARC) energy. Listen Here.
David Gruber
David is the founder and CEO of Gruber Law Offices, an award-winning personal injury law firm. David has grown Gruber Law Offices from one law firm to now around 120 team members. David’s success has allowed him to make significant contributions to many businesses and organizations in communities throughout Wisconsin. “One Call…That’s All!”
Did you know David played NCAA basketball? Read about it here
Jamie Andrzejewski
Jamie is the founder and owner of Nourish Natural Products — an award-winning, Milwaukee-based wellness brand of products for the body, mind, and home. She was a Project Pitch It Season 5 participant and is back as a guest mogul for Season 7. Jamie is a highly-respected leader in the women-owned small business community. She is known for her commitment to social impact and mentorship. Jamie is dedicated to helping others rise.
Peg Ann
Executive Producer Peg Ann is the former owner/CEO of Empire Level Manufacturing and Life Moves. She is a community leader, creating connections by breaking barriers. Peg supports dozens of local organizations. She is especially involved at Kradwell School and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Ryan Povlick
Ryan Povlick is the founder and co owner of Scratch Ice Cream with his brother Justin Povlick, and owner of We Paint Doors and More.
Scratch Ice Cream was launched in 2015 when Ryan Povlick made ice cream from simple ingredients and started selling pints out of his aunt and uncles yogurt shop Yo Mama frozen yogurt. Soon after going door to door to grocery stores and restaurants. Today having over 50 wholesale accounts and 4 scoop shops.
Ryan Povlick started We Paint Doors and More in 2022. Scope of work including exterior painting, interior, faux wood garage doors, cabinets, drywall, light carpentry, and anything paint related.
Steven Gruber
Attorney Steven Gruber is an award-winning personal injury attorney at Gruber Law Offices who has successfully handled cases regarding serious matters and incidents that have been highly publicized by local, national, and international media outlets. He also leads business strategy at Gruber Law where he is significantly responsible for the firm’s growth and success. Attorney Steven Gruber is proud to help injured victims get the compensation they deserve. He is honored to be a Mogul on Project Pitch It and continue his family’s and firm’s tradition of positively impacting our community.
MEDIA SPONSORS
Project Pitch It airs in every television market in the state and has more than 80,000 weekly viewers.
The statewide network includes:
WISN-TV 12 (Milwaukee)
WSAW/WYOW-TV 7 (Wausau) | WBAY-TV 2 (Green Bay) | WKBT-TV 8 (La Crosse) | WKOW-TV 27 (Madison)
Watch Emerging Entrepreneurs Pitch their product or service on Project Pitch It
Are you excited to discover the next generation of entrepreneurs? Look no further than Project Pitch It, the popular reality TV show presented by UW-Milwaukee’s Lubar Entrepreneurship Center. Each week, emerging entrepreneurs from across Wisconsin pitch their innovative products and ideas to a panel of experts, including business moguls Jerry Jendusa, Gale Klappa, David Gruber, and Peg Ann. These passionate individuals are working hard to turn their big ideas into successful businesses, and with awards totaling more than $40,000 each week, the stakes are high. Don’t miss your chance to witness the creativity, drive, and determination of Wisconsin’s up-and-coming business leaders – tune in to Project Pitch It now!