For recent Lubar College alumna Kayla Lokker, entrepreneurship did not begin with a business plan. It began with a problem she experienced every day.
“When I look back on my time at UWM, the launch point for my entrepreneurial mindset happened in two key moments,” Lokker said. “My sophomore year I did my first pitch competition, and that experience ignited the entrepreneurial fire within myself.”
That spark turned into action during her junior year in the Intro to Entrepreneurship course in the Lubar College. “That class pushed me to fully commit to starting a business,” she said. “It’s where I had my lightbulb moment for Easy Wear Jewelry.”
Easy Wear Jewelry is built around the Easy Clasp, a patented jewelry clasp designed to make necklaces easier and more secure to wear. “I realized how much I struggled with tiny necklace clasps each morning,” Lokker said. “The true ‘aha’ moment came one rushed day when I lost a diamond pendant my Dad gave me when I was born. That loss was heartbreaking, but it also sparked a realization. There had to be a better way.”
What began as a class project quickly grew into a company, supported by the College’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. “Without the support of the Lubar College of Business, and especially the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center, I truly don’t think I would have been able to start Easy Wear Jewelry the way I did,” Lokker said. “It wasn’t just about resources. It was about feeling supported while figuring things out in real time.”
Building the business required persistence. Lokker spent years refining the design and was told “no” by more than 100 manufacturers. “Hearing ‘no’ that many times was discouraging,” she said. “But it also strengthened my belief in the idea. You only fail if you stop trying.”
Her diligence and preparation paid off. Visibility from pitch competitions and Project Pitch It helped validate demand and build an early customer base. “The experience reinforced how important it is to clearly articulate a product’s value proposition,” she said.
Lokker also excelled in 2024 Lubar college competitions, winning a $10,000 first prize in the James D. Scheinfeld Entrepreneurial Awards competition and winning the La Macchia New Ventures Business Plan Competition first place prize of $10,000. In the same year, she received the People’s Choice Award at the Wisconsin Big Idea Tournament.
Looking ahead, Lokker envisions Easy Wear Jewelry becoming an industry standard. “Over the next three to five years, I see Easy Wear Jewelry becoming the go-to solution for effortless, accessible jewelry,” she said.
Lokker’s advice to student entrepreneurs. “Take the risk while you’re young. You’ll regret not trying far more than you’ll regret failing.”