Managing Director, Venture Creation
Paul Jaques is the Burgess Institute’s Managing Director for Venture Creation. Paul works directly with Spartans venturers as they take their ideas to market reality.
Paul brings a long track record of successful venture creation, with several startups of his own, including a recruiting firm (WeConnectTalent), Brickshield (a semi-permanent adhesive for plastic brick toys, like Lego), MyMichiganLake.com, the Trestimate app, and the Clawmaster app. He’s also an Altruis investment fund member, serves as an advisor for several startups, and, in his spare time, wrote a children’s book, Best Friend Dad.
Before the Burgess Institute’s formation, Paul worked at Spartan Innovations. He also served as the Associate Director of Business & Career Engagement for MSU Career Services.
He is the co-creator of Art Alley, NeoCenter, YSG, and the Hatching. Paul earned his Bachelor’s in Advertising/PR from Grand Valley State University and his Master’s in Public Relations from Michigan State University.