“To make something memorable, you have to think large and outside the box. You have to do something that people will remember.”
-Dan Green
Nicole Green Powley, Assistant Director for Programs and core team member at the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center, is departing the LEC to pursue a long-held dream. She will be moving to Florida to begin her new startup Rising Sons Expedition Sailing with her husband, a charter boating company that will give tourists a unique look at the Bahamas. Since joining the LEC, she has been instrumental in shaping LEC programs and partnerships.
A two-time UWM graduate, Nicole started her entrepreneurial journey in UWM’s Startup Challenge with an idea based on connecting families with their aging relatives – an idea inspired by her own experience with her grandmother. After joining what would eventually become the LEC, she has had a hand in shaping the Startup Challenge, our foundational program. The UWM Innovators Expo, the seventh of which was held last Friday and the capstone of every year’s Startup Challenge, was originally created by Nicole.
Nicole has also helped to launch new LEC programs and forge relationships with departments, students, and organizations. She worked together with Dr. Ilya Avdeev on key outreach programs including work with multiple area high schools such as Shorewood Schools, the School District of New Berlin, and Pathways High School, and she also deepened partnerships with campus multicultural centers including the Black Student Cultural Center and the Roberto Hernandez Center.
Rebecca J Grassl, Associate Director of Student Involvement and Assistant Director of the Student Union, recounted fond memories with Nicole. “I first worked with Nicole when she worked for catering at UWM when she was an undergrad. She often worked with us on events. When she transitioned to the LEC as an intern and then full time staff person, we just kept on working together on new and more exciting events and projects,” Rebecca recalled. “Nicole is brilliant and creates meaningful, lasting relationships. She genuinely cares and works tirelessly. Nicole’s laugh and sense of humor are the best, and her ability to present and engage a group are unmatched.”
Alberto Maldonado, Director & Co-Lead for Hispanic Serving Initiatives also shared his memories of Nicole. “WOW! Nicole is such a genuine and uplifting individual. There is not an ounce in her body that is negative. She sees the possibilities in every situation and works with you to find a solution. She is with you all the way! One of a kind and I am going to miss her a bunch.”
Nicole will be sorely missed by not only those at the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center but at UWM as a whole. We at the LEC wish her the best.
From everyone at the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center: Thank you, Nicole! We literally could not have done it without you.