Background
A bit about me first. I grew up in the great state of Wisconsin in my hometown of Mequon and am actually a double Badger, graduating from UW-Madison as a Marketing & MHR double major. My favorite spots in Madison to this day are the Memorial Union Terrace and the Nicholas Recreation Center. After graduating, I finally left the state of Wisconsin and moved to Chicago to work for a boutique consulting firm focused on technology landscaping, where I worked specifically with companies in the aerospace and chemical industries.
Starting up LiQure
The inception of the LiQure idea occurred during my first year after undergrad in 2022. When I worked for the consulting firm, we would frequently enjoy happy hour spirits on Thursdays but still needed to be productive the following morning. Even while being mindful about my consumption, the day after drinking was impacting my health, sleep, and work quality. As an avid fan of dietary supplements and health optimization, I became curious: “How could I bulletproof my body for casual alcohol consumption?”
My breakthrough moment came when I began researching dihydromyricetin (DHM), an extract from the Japanese Raisin Tree that has been used in Asia for centuries for liver health and has more recently been recognized for its clinically-backed role in hangover prevention and recovery. I took DHM by itself—no other vitamins or additives—and was blown away by its efficacy. I woke up the next morning with my energy intact and ready to tackle the day. From there, my next step was to learn what other form factors DHM existed in.
All existing form factors for DHM—pills, liquids, and tablets—came with their own flaws. However, no one internationally had been able to successfully incorporate DHM into a gummy format. I immediately put out a job posting for a dietary supplement chemist to help bring my formulation to life. Following nearly two years of R&D, manufacturing delays, and constant setbacks, LiQure and its patent-pending formulation officially launched in April of 2024, becoming the first DHM-based gummy for drinking recovery.
Even though the dream of launching finally came true, the work had only just begun. My co-founder’s and my bootstrapped budget was severely hampered when our first manufacturer botched our initial bulk order, forcing us to spend the remainder of our budget on a second bulk run with an entirely new manufacturer. We launched with essentially zero dollars to invest in paid media, so we chose an unorthodox route and began with door-to-door sales to local mom-and-pop liquor stores.
Every day during our first few months, we went store to store across Chicago looking for any owner willing to give us a shot. With persistence, our first store turned into our first ten locations, then into fifty. Before we knew it, we were able to leverage our grassroots success into placements with one of Chicago’s premier retail chains, Foxtrot, as well as promotional partnerships with the local Barstool Sports venue. We continue to build a presence in Chicago by sponsoring or partnering with music and street festivals, giving patrons the opportunity to wake up feeling better the next day. Our most successful activation came this past summer at the Taste of Randolph in Chicago’s West Loop, where over 100,000 attendees saw LiQure gummies sold at every single drink station, with our logo placed alongside Liquid Death.
Gaining Momentum
As we approach the close of our 2025 chapter, we achieved our largest win yet: launching pilot programs with both Casey’s General Store and Murphy USA, bringing our total retail footprint to over 200 locations. Looking ahead to 2026, our biggest challenge is finalizing our first-ever fundraising round. What began as a personal lifestyle frustration is now aligning with broader shifts in consumer wellness and retail behavior. We have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to improve our existing product, and we are seeking outside capital to help bring these optimizations to new markets. Additionally, we recently received a grant to conduct decentralized clinical trials on our product’s efficacy, providing meaningful flexibility in future marketing claims and brand credibility. This will support our three- to five-year plan of expanding into over 1,000 locations and continuing to become a household name in alcohol recovery, especially at bars, festivals, and social functions.
MBA Experience
Balancing a growing business and an MBA program is no small feat. Some weeks, I find myself driving back and forth to Chicago multiple times after class, with lectures waiting the following morning. This would not be possible without carefully allocating my time between working in the business and working on the business. My favorite course this semester has been Business Valuation, as its deep focus on M&A has directly shaped how I think about company strategy, deal structure, and long-term value creation. While challenging, the experience has been incredibly rewarding—I am able to bring real-world business lessons to my peers while also learning from them how to continue building and refining my brand. I initially worried that I might feel like an outcast due to my atypical background, but those expectations were exceeded by the interest and support I’ve received from both peers and faculty. I’ve even had faculty members introduce me to angel investor groups because they believe in our mission. The Wisconsin School of Business has been overwhelmingly supportive of my current and future endeavors, providing the tailwinds I need to scale LiQure while equipping me with the financial tools and perspective to pursue a future path in venture capital.
For prospective students considering the University of Wisconsin–Madison, there is no better environment to immerse yourself in and no better city to call home. With smaller class sizes, you are able to personally get to know every candidate in the program while also building more meaningful relationships with your professors. The program’s academic depth is complemented by Madison’s natural beauty and strong sense of community, where a walk along Lake Mendota or Lake Monona can be just as formative as time spent in the classroom.
That balance between rigor and quality of life has also shaped how I approach entrepreneurship and the values behind LiQure. The mark I want to leave with LiQure is the destigmatization of alcohol recovery. Growing up in a state with a strong drinking culture like Wisconsin, I found that people often felt uncomfortable admitting the toll that even moderate drinking can take on their bodies. We designed LiQure to allow social drinkers to be mindful of their health in a socially acceptable format, and we see a future where LiQure—and alcohol recovery products more broadly—are available wherever liquor is sold.
For me, LiQure is about meeting people where they are and changing how they think about recovery, and as the business continues to scale, that mission remains the north star guiding every product and partnership decision we make.
Rapid Fire
Favorite Spot in Madison: Memorial Union Terrace and the Nicholas Rec Center
Productivity Hack: I’m a health nut but there’s something alluring about a White Monster
One Word to Describe MBA Experience: Belonging
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