Who is Nick?
Nick grew up in Livonia, Michigan but felt an immediate connection to Marquette and the greater Upper Peninsula when he toured Northern Michigan University in the summer of 2018. “I knew I was coming here as soon as I drove into Marquette in July,” he said. Nick initially began his time at NMU as part of the Fisheries & Wildlife program, with plans to become a fisheries biologist. However, after considering what types of professional opportunities would be available post-graduation, he decided to switch his major to Environmental Science, with a Biology minor.
After transferring to this new program, Nick connected with Innovate Marquette when he began working in the Invent@NMU program during his junior year. In this role, he acted as an intern for NSIE, an environmental science company that is focused on solving issues revolving around nuclear waste, which provided him with an introduction to working in a business environment. From that role, he was able to start working in an onboarding guide capacity, helping new clients connect with IMQT’s business incubator program and through the first few steps of the startup process. He gained experience in this capacity until he graduated from NMU in December of 2024, which helped him develop a new passion for startup businesses alongside his education in natural sciences.
From Student To Full Time
After graduating from NMU and the Invent@NMU program, Nick transitioned to doing contract work for the services team at IMQT. During that time, he continued working as an onboarding guide while also working as a bartender in the community. Shortly into his work as a service provider, he was able to start working on more of a full-time basis, putting in time with both the services and operations teams. Then, in April of 2025, Nick officially accepted a full time position as a project manager, working mostly with our Advanced Services clients to help connect them with whatever resources they might need from around the state. “Specializing in high-tech, outdoor, and sustainable innovation has allowed me to develop my project management skills and continue to utilize my education, even if it’s not in the way I anticipated,” he said.
Life Outside
When he’s not in the office, Nick loves to spend as much time as possible outside. He believes that time is better spent outdoors, and frequently goes hiking, fishing, paddling, and camping. During his time at NMU, he acted as the captain and president of the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team, and has enjoyed playing Guts Frisbee, a U.P. specialty, since graduating. There are a select few occasions when he might be found inside, mainly when the Detroit Lions are playing.
Looking Ahead
Nick has been a valuable member of the Innovate team and we are excited to have him as a full-time member of the Services team! His work as project manager has been vital to the success of our clients and a benefit to the greater entrepreneurial ecosystem of the Upper Peninsula.