Stephanie Hoskins, the co-founder of cloud-based software company
Debtle, has been hired by Lakeland University as the inaugural Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. Chair for Business & Entrepreneurship to lead Jake’s, A Lakeland Community.
Hoskins will lead the development of Jake’s, A Lakeland Community, located at 529 Ontario Ave., in downtown Sheboygan.
She will work directly with Lakeland students as a mentor and teacher and lead the creation of a long-term plan for Jake’s that includes experiential learning at all levels, while integrating broader community planning and innovation.
“This role provides an incredible opportunity to contribute to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Sheboygan County and Wisconsin,” Hoskins said. “It’s the perfect blend of my background, given my experience as a founder and in academia. Being able to teach and mentor students, while also cultivating a broader community to support small businesses and entrepreneurship, is a dream come true.”
Lakeland acquired Jake’s, A Lakeland Community, earlier this spring to provide more access to its Cooperative Education program, recruit the next generation of entrepreneurially minded students and position the institution as a resource and partner for the region.
Funding for the transition and creation of the Herbert V. Kohler, Jr. Chair for Business & Entrepreneurship was donated by Herb Kohler on behalf of Kohler Co. and by Richard and Kristin (Jacobson) Bemis.
“I’m looking forward to meeting more area entrepreneurs and people who are curious about entrepreneurship and looking to explore the next step,” Hoskins said. “I encourage everyone to reach out to me at Jake’s. I would love feedback from the community as we start to develop more programming, resources and events. I’ve also established a pretty wide-reaching network of founders, advisors, investors and resources that I’m excited to share.”
In 2019, Hoskins and her husband, Houston, launched Debtle, a software company that helps small and midsize health care organizations resolve unpaid invoices by automating and simplifying the negotiation and settlement of bad debt accounts.
Jake’s is named for Frank “Jake” Jacobson, who founded Jacobson Advertising and moved the business to the Ontario Avenue location in 1962. Jacobson’s son, Tryg, joined the family business, and in 1983 joined coworker Jon Rost to form Jacobson Rost.
When Tryg and his wife, Ann Marie, sold the business, they retained the Sheboygan property. In honor of his parents, Jake and Elizabeth “Betty” Jacobson, they founded Jake’s Cafe, a place designed to attract and nurture a community of creative people.
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Jake’s, A Lakeland Community is located at 529 Ontario Ave. in downtown Sheboygan. Credit: Lakeland University[/caption]
