About Us
From 2018 to 2022

Rob Zielonka
Founder & Chairmen
Jules Kelly
Co-Founder, CEO
Mike Heiser
Co-Founder, CEO
Back in 2018, a local CT entrepreneur came up with a great idea. If you're thinking it was Startups & Scholars, you're about a year ahead! His idea was for a portable kegerator system to keep growler beverages fresher, longer. (Check it out now growlerpower.com!) It was a great idea, but like many entrepreneurs, it wasn't easy getting started with a family, full-time job, and little funding.
A year later he approached a two college kids with the idea to connect students to startups- students get paid, hands on experience and startups get talented, affordable work. As entrepreneurial-focused students themselves, they saw the value and took on the venture.
So the entrepreneur and two scholars began... Flash forward to now, Startups and Scholars has been successfully providing college students with paid, hands-on internships while directly contributing to the success of over ten local entrepreneurs.
college student 1
college student 2
the entrepreneur

Our Story
