Plymouth's Drought Named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' by Michigan State University

This article was written by Paul James Werner, Michigan State University Extension

An Entrepreneur of the Year award was given to Jennifer and Caitlin James during the Making it in Michigan Specialty Food trade show on November 12, 2013, held at the Lansing Center in Lansing, Mich. An award ceremony was held during the lunch hour honoring them for their perseverance and determination as food entrepreneurs. The award ceremony included an introduction video and award presentation.

The Entrepreneur of the Year award was granted to Drought, of Detroit, Mich., owned by Jennifer and Caitlin James. They have earned this award by developing the original concept of starting a vending cart to sell fresh raw, cold-pressed juices at Eastern Market. The company has since moved away from mobile food to a fixed location. The entrepreneurs conducted a successful crowd-sourcing campaign on Kickstarter, and opened at a store in Plymouth, Mich. They recently opened a second location on Canfield St. in Detroit and partnered with Shinola company at that location.

Jennifer and Caitlin James received one of four separate awards. All of the award winners were recognized as part of Making it in Michigan, the only premier specialty food trade show in Michigan. The trade show is a compilation of a marketplace for producers to sell their products to grocery buyers, an educational component that delivers classes from marketing to regulation and a formal conference and expert speakers. This year’s keynote speaker was Tim McIntyre from Domino’s Pizza. The event was hosted by Michigan State University and the MSU Product Center, partner of Michigan State University Extension and MSU AgBioResearch.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).