Alum Ventures

The ventures below were all started by students who graduated from the College of Saint Benedict or Saint John's University, with coaching from the Donald McNeely Center for Entrepreneurship.

The Magic of Jared Sherlock
Jared Sherlock ' 11

Jared began his love of the art of magic at the very early age of eight years old. Holiday 'Magic Shows' for the family became a tradition at the Sherlocks'. What was considered a hobby, with the invaluable help of his parents; family and friends, very quickly became a profession by the age of thirteen. Every full-scale production produced by Jared's company in the past 5years has been in cooperation with a charity or benefit in pursuit of feeding, clothing, educating and granting the last wishes of kids. Your attendance has helped raise over $50,000 dollars for central Indiana and Minnesota communities! Jared Sherlock graduated with distinction from Saint John's University where he received a B.A. in Theater Entrepreneurship. He is also a graduate of the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theater's summer intensive in Blue Lake, California. As an actor, The American College Theater Festival has nominated him twice for the Irene Ryan award for his performances in Our Town (2008) and Macbeth (2010). As an award-winning entrepreneur, and a classically trained illusionist, Jared performs for theaters, corporate events, and fundraisers nationwide. He has also toured internationally in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong. Jared and his Minneapolis-based production company, Sherlock Studios LLC, is a popular consultant in Twin Cities Theater holding professional credits with Cardinal Theatricals and The Moving Company. His work has been featured by the Wall Street Journal online, MSN Money, and the internationally syndicated Bob and Tom Radio show. In 2010, Saint John's University named him the student Entrepreneur of the year. In 2008, StartUpNation.com recognized Jared as one of the United State's Top 20 Dorm-based Businesses.

For more information on Jared, go to www.jaredsherlock.com

Peerless Lawn Care
Aaron Haakonson '12

Peerless Lawn Care is one of the leading professional lawn management companies in the St. Cloud area with seven years of experience in the industry. Whether you are in need of commercial or residential lawn maintenance or just a quick one-time service, we have the staff and equipment to exceed your expectations. Founded in 2004 by Aaron Haakonson, Peerless Lawn Care has seen steady growth each year by maintaining its core values: superior quality work in all aspects of our business at a competitive price, while forming lasting relationships with each and every customer. We take pride in knowing our customers on a personal level so that you are comfortable making requests or suggestions to us at any time. This enables us to perform the best quality work at every job. All employees at Peerless Lawn Care know what it takes to maintain a beautiful property. We are truly passionate about lawns; if yours doesn't look good, we don't either. Our employees are eager to work for you.

For more information on Aaron and Peerless Lawn Care, go to www.peerlesslawncare.com

JGoods, LLC.
Jon Goodman '08

JGoods is a Limited Liability Company originally formed in 2002 providing hand-painted custom sneakers for various clients around the world. Some of these clients include: Jay-Z, Larry Fitzgerald, Pharrell Williams, Joe Mauer, and Torii Hunter.

In 2011 and beyond, JGoods is committed to providing sneaker enthusiasts with the highest quality materials for the customization and upkeep of their sneakers. JGoods specially formulated leather paint exceeds 100,000 dry flex repetitions in the lab without cracking or losing color. All products are of the highest quality and inspected by professionals.

For more information on Jon and JGoods, go to www.jgoodsonline.com

Dayta Marketing
Luke Riordan '11

Luke Riordan founded DAYTA Marketing while attending Saint John's University. DAYTA Marketing's founding can be traced back to Luke's professor allowing him to intern for a medical clinic in Stevens Point, WI. During this internship Luke set the clinic up on all appropriate social media platforms and communicated through the sites on behalf of the clinic. After the four-month internship, the clinic was so impressed with the results that they offered to compensate Luke on the conditions that he would continue his work both communicating and marketing for the clinic. DAYTA Marketing was born.

Company overview-  We build brand and trust while helping our clients become a top-of-mind entity among their followers. We create and manage our clients' social media sites while also developing new media such as web design, video and photography. Our services are designed to meet the requirements that social media demands: time, diligence and consistency. We provide our clients confirmation that their relationship with DAYTA Marketing is delivering a return on investment. 

For more information on Luke, and Dayta Marketing, go to www.daytamarketing.com

Schoolhouse Scoop

Josh Weinzettel '10

Schoolhouse Scoop, located in Hastings, MN is a place where food and hospitality come together - in the sweetest way. Founded June 2009, Schoolhouse Scoop serves the most unique combinations of hard-serve premium ice cream in the Greater Twin Cities. Schoolhouse Scoop continues the long-time traditions of dipping ice cream but in a fresh, fun, and exciting way. One of the main focuses of Schoolhouse Scoop is to give back and it does to some of its best customers, the kids! Giving time and giving back to the education system in the Hastings area benefits all students but most importantly, it benefits the community. "The Scoop" extends beyond its walls by getting involved in community events like High School Prom, Cruise-In Car Shows, and Daddy-Daughter Dances.

Every summer when the heat peaks in mid-July, Schoolhouse Scoop hosts its own special event; The annual "Banana Split Eating Contest". The contest gets wild with loud music, hundreds of banana splits, and the occasional contestant with watery eyes and a full stomach. The Food Network Magazine has recognized the contest and has asked Schoolhouse Scoop to be featured in an article full of fun eating contests happening in 2013. Some of Schoolhouse Scoop's flavors-of-the-year include "Firecracker" (pop-rocks) & "Pirate's Booty" (stop in find to discover this flavor). The store also offers a complimentary "extra-credit scoop," a mini scoop of any flavor that sits right on top. When it comes to his staff, Josh is most enthusiastic about the work atmosphere and culture, saying his employees were chosen for their "fun, energetic, and crazy personalities." Next time you find yourself pondering "What's the Scoop?", stop in to Schoolhouse Scoop and find out.

For more information on Schoolhouse Scoop, go to http://schoolhousescoop.virb.com/.