
December 28, 2022
GREEN BAY – Though Jennifer Nowicki – founder and owner of Cultivate Taste Tea Salon on Broadway in Green Bay – said she has always considered herself an entrepreneur, it wasn’t something she always believed she could do long term.
“I did the lemonade stands several times as a child, but it wasn’t until my mid- to late-20s I thought I would try being an entrepreneur,” she said.
Nowicki said a lot has changed since her childhood dreams of business ownership.
She became a certified tea specialist through the Specialty Tea Institute in New York City, opened the Cultivate Taste Tea Salon in downtown Green Bay and was recently accepted into the 2023 cohort of the Babson WIN Lab Venture Accelerator created by the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) at Babson College – the No. 1 ranked college for the study of entrepreneurship by U.S. News and World Report.
“(When) I got the email, my first reaction was exclaiming out loud, ‘YES!’” she said. “I feel honored to be part of the cohort from a college that has been considered the best entrepreneurship program for the last 25 years. Who wouldn’t want to learn from the best?”
The WIN (Women Innovating Now) Lab is an accelerator program designed specifically for women entrepreneurs, by women entrepreneurs, in order to empower them to build scalable businesses.
On the cusp of finding out about her acceptance, Nowicki said she doesn’t know everything the program involves yet but is excited to collaborate with other women entrepreneurs.
“I think it is important to have women-focused programs because they allow some high-achieving women who might be more timid or need to feel comfortable to express themselves,” she said. “It can also allow said women to connect with other women who are high-achieving, knowing they are not alone and do deserve to break the glass ceiling.”
The program
Nowicki said the accelerator program will include two classes a week – on Tuesday evenings and during the lunch hour on Thursdays.
The 12-week cohort, – which kicks off Jan. 20 and runs through April 13 – also includes an hour-and-a-half of one-on-one coaching per month, as well as access to experts in a variety of industries and subject matter through office hours and workshop sessions.
According to the Babson WIN Lab Venture Accelerator website, the program is based on four key pillars – accountability, peer community, content sessions and mentors.
Participants begin by identifying the goals they’d like to reach by the program’s end.
From there, the website notes, progress against those goals will be tracked at monthly mastermind sessions where participants will give updates to a group of experts and fellow entrepreneurs and receive feedback, guidance and encouragement from the group.
The weekly discussion sessions will include tactical business topics, such as marketing, finance, and pitching that will impact business growth, led by Babson faculty and industry experts.
Jennifer Nowicki said she began drinking tea with her grandmother as a young girl. Submitted Photo
“I am looking forward to connecting with other women (entrepreneurs) because they will understand the hurdles, stresses and successes,” Nowicki said. “Ideally, we will be able to help each other succeed further, and easier, and be a sounding board for our ideas. I also think we will get each other at least on the high-achieving part.”
Nowicki obtained a minor in business from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB) and later returned to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Nowicki said she found out about the program through her former UWGB professor/advisor Ryan Kauth.
“He helped develop the entrepreneur classes at UWGB,” she said.
Kauth said he thought the Babson WIN Lab Venture Accelerator program seemed like the best next step for Nowicki.
“I thought this particular program was a good fit as a next step for Jennifer as an entrepreneur with her industry expertise, having done well in gBETA Northeast Wisconsin and the Draper Competition for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs,” he said. “I’m a fan of Jennifer and of Babson’s continued excellence in groundbreaking programming for women entrepreneurs and in entrepreneurial leadership.”
Nowicki said the accelerator program is giving her an opportunity to think big.
“I made this leap because most of my life, I did not think big,” she said. “I had two small businesses before and was fine with them, but as I age, the more I think, ‘why not shoot for the stars.’”
Nowicki said she believes the experiences and opportunities she took advantage of in the last few years contributed to her acceptance into the program.
“I am a certified tea specialist and was one of eight people to represent the U.S. tea industry in two world tea conferences,” she said. “I was part of gBeta – another accelerator program, a semi-finalist for the Draper Competition (for Collegiate Women Entrepreneurs) in 2019, and recently became a certified woman-owned business through Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. So, I think I have the drive.”
Nowicki’s start
Nowicki said her love for tea started at a young age when she began drinking the leafy beverage with her grandmother.
“I have always been a tea drinker,” she said. “I started drinking tea with my grandmother and it blossomed when I moved to Seattle in my mid-20s with my experience tasting some truly great loose-leaf teas in Seattle.”
After a few ups and downs, Nowicki said she returned to Northeast Wisconsin and began selling online (Cultivate Taste Tea) and at various events while looking for a physical location.
Nowicki opened the Cultivate Taste Tea Salon on Broadway in June 2021.
“I also do wholesale and private labeling, too,” she said.
Nowicki said Cultivate Taste offers roughly 100 loose-leaf tea options, including black, green and oolong teas she sources directly from farms around the world, blending many herself.