Naman Shrestha
In order to plow away the disappointment and troubles faced by homeowners because of snow during harsh winters, Snow Scholars provides reliable and affordable snow removal services to residential and commercial properties. The co-founders of the up-and-coming organization, Philip Loveland and Jake Piekarski, featured in the seventh episode of season 16 of ABC’s ‘Shark Tank.’ As they pitched Snow Scholars to the Sharks in the hopes of landing a deal with at least one of them, the product also garnered the attention of many due to its innovative approach to the process of snow removal.
Snow Scholars: Who Are They And What Do They Do?
Before Snow Scholars was even a thing, Jake Piekarski and Philip Loveland were focused on their educational and professional ventures. The former already possessed the experience of owning and founding a company as he was the Owner and Operator of JPS Surfboards from 2017 to 2020. By late 2020, he became the founder and CEO of ChoreHub for the next three years. For a short while, he also served as the Campus Co-Founder of Storage Scholars LLC. Since April 2023, Jake has also held the position of Founder and CEO at Bascom 2 Business while working as an Accelerator Participant at Madworks Accelerator by StartingBlock and a part-time Investment Member at Wisconsin Investment Partners.
In May 2024, he also earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Wisconsin School of Business, where he crossed paths with Philip Loveland. The Libertyville High School graduate, Philip, served as a Teen Leader at Appalachian Mission Trip for a year or so, from 2017 to 2018. He was also the Campus Co-Founder of Storage Scholars LLC, along with Jake. For more than five years, he was employed at Spectrum Retirement Communities, LLC as a Server. Since 2023, he has been a part-time Accelerator Participant at Madworks Accelerator by StartingBlock. Philip also has ties to Lou Elson Real Estate and EXIT Realty HGM as a Real Estate Agent.
When Jake first arrived at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he noticed a large number of students working extra hard on late-night shifts to get by and pay for college. He also noticed how homeowners struggled with snow removal when their driveways were covered in white. Thus, he came up with the idea of Snow Scholars, aiming to solve both problems at once. In late September 2022, the company was founded with the promise of providing high-paying jobs on campus for students and solving the snow removal problems faced by many homeowners. Serving as the CEO, Jake is responsible for the management, business development, and oversight of multiple campus operations. A few months after the company’s establishment, Philip Loveland joined the organization as the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer.
Snow Scholars: Where Are They Now?
At first, Snow Scholars was just a medium to help students pay off their student loans. However, through perseverance and determination, it has become successful across the nation and evolved into a symbol of student empowerment. The operations of Snow Scholars span multiple cities, such as Ann Arbor, East Lensing, Madison, Minneapolis, and several others, providing their services to residential as well as commercial clients. Ever since the snow removal company was launched, it has reportedly paid students more than $100,000 in student wages. Elaborating on the same, Jake Piekarski told WDIO, “And we’ve also done more than 3,000 snow removal jobs for about 1,000 customers in the lifetime of the business. And it really makes an impact on the homeowners, especially because they are able to connect with students. So, we’re building a community.”
He concluded, “And for those who can’t do it themselves, they have an opportunity to connect with those students and get the help they need at a really affordable price, too.” As of today, the company operates on a total of six campuses, including the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Western Michigan University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Minnesota-Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Michigan State University. Snow Scholars offers a couple of plans to choose from — Whole Season and Vacation. Although there is a difference in the kind of service and rates, both plans cover walkways, sidewalks, stairs, and driveways. After you choose a plan and sign up through the official website, you can get a quote, as the automatic dispatch system takes care of the rest. The current objective of Snow Scholars is to expand to more states and make the brand a trusted and reputable name in the snow removal industry.
Read More: Wildcoat Shark Tank Update: Practical and Functional Coats For Winter Sports
