By Aaryn Richard
The Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation has chosen Joshua Cooper, an Advertising Management senior with a minor in entrepreneurship, as 2020’s Adam M. Enfroy Scholar for Digital Entrepreneurship. Cooper is the founder and CEO of SKOOP digital. The startup company offers its customers a robust software platform to manage their marketing messaging and creative assets across their existing, as well as tailor-made, digital screen infrastructure.
Adam M. Enfroy (Media and Information, ‘12) established the annual scholarship to recognize and support talented, highly motivated student venturers creating within the digital entrepreneurship space. Each year, the Burgess Institute selects a scholar who demonstrates traction within the digital entrepreneurship space and exemplary engagement within the Burgess Institute’s Discovery and Launch programs. Ideal scholars also show aptitude, passion, and commitment to their academic success and the ability to balance building a startup with the inherent demands of academic rigor. The Adam M. Enfroy Digital Entrepreneurship Scholarship awards $2,500 for the awardee to apply toward student expenses through the office of financial aid.
“Hard work pays off,” beamed Cooper, who has been part of Michigan State’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for three years. “SKOOP would not be where it is today without the resources and support received from the Burgess Institute.”
Cooper is an alumnus of the Conquer Accelerator program’s 2019 cohort, receiving a $20,000 investment in exchange for an equity stake in SKOOP digital. Also, in 2019, Cooper took home the top prize at the Burgess New Venture Challenge.
“The Burgess Institute and its team never give up on their students. It’s an honor to be a part of this ecosystem—and I’m humbled to be named 2020’s Adam M. Enfroy Digital Entrepreneurship Scholar.”
Earlier this year, Adam M. Enfroy established the undergraduate scholarship in his name specifically for digital entrepreneurs.
Enfroy’s path to success was more winding than he anticipated. In a recent Hatchcast interview, Enfroy admitted he was not a model Spartan student during his time in East Lansing.
“College life was difficult for me. I didn’t take the opportunity as seriously as I should have, and, at the time, didn’t know what to do with my life.” In fact, by his junior year, Enfroy had failed classes. “Academics took a backseat to partying and having a good time.”
“It took me over five years to complete my degree from MSU. After graduation, I still felt pretty lost and was unsure what to do with my life. After a number of failures, I realized it was time to buckle down and make some big changes.” Ultimately, Enfroy taught himself digital marketing, traveled across the country taking marketing positions for tech companies, and was promoted five times in five years. After gaining enough experience, he decided to strike out on his own, launching his marketing blog, adamenfroy.com, in 2019.
Today, Enfroy’s blog reaches over 500,000 monthly readers, who are learning how to start and scale successful online businesses. In a recent Forbes interview, he highlights his personal struggles and how he now makes over $80K per month from his blog.
“Having this opportunity to give back is important to me,” said Enfroy, “entrepreneurs do not create in a vacuum, and our successes are the result of the help and support we receive along the way.”