Jen Roth grew up in a small town in Iowa, deeply involved in the community and exposed early to entrepreneurialism.
So, maybe it’s not surprising that she ended up an entrepreneur herself.
The chair of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization has started multiple marketing companies. And now she’s helping coordinate the Entrepreneurs Rally this week at the JW Marriott Minneapolis near Mall of America.
Upsize is a media sponsor of the event. Editor Andrew Tellijohn spoke with Roth about her journey.
Tellijohn: What’s your background – how did you end up an entrepreneur, etc.?
Roth: I grew up in a small rural town in Iowa, Storm Lake, in a big family with two brothers and two sisters. My father became an entrepreneur, running his own accounting and law firm, so I was exposed to entrepreneurism at a very early age.
I came to Minnesota to attend the College of St Benedict. It was the perfect college for me. The size was great, the close-knit community suited me well and I would make my lifelong friends there. I started as an accounting major but ended up realizing anything financial was not my strong suit, and I ended up graduating as an English major and later getting a Master’s degree in business communication from the University of St. Thomas.
My liberal arts degree and my time at St. Ben’s set me up perfectly for a career as an entrepreneur because it taught me to be curious, to question and to love learning simply for learning’s sake. I also studied abroad in London my junior year, which set the course for my love for travel and stretched me to be independent.
I enjoyed a very successful career in marketing at companies like CIGNA, United Health Group and, ultimately, Ceridian, where I worked my way into senior executive positions. Along the way I met my husband and had two children and decided to leave corporate America to start my own marketing consulting firm. This is when my entrepreneurial journey began.
Tellijohn: What businesses are you in?
Roth: I was fortunate in that my consulting firm grew right away. From there I built a marketing agency that ultimately was named to Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list. Two years ago, I sold the firm to start a new company called Wise Blue Yonder.
I was diagnosed with systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at 9 and have spent my lifetime navigating health challenges. Eight joint replacements and 14 surgeries later, I’ve learned firsthand how difficult it can be to travel when you are differently abled. Curbs, uneven sidewalks, inaccurate information and a lack of access to resources you need can make travel downright daunting.
The creation of Wise Blue Yonder combines my love of travel, my business acumen and my disability, to help people of all abilities enjoy travel experiences. We offer travel planning services, subscription-based content, vetted resources to help people of all abilities plan and take trips. We recently launched a small group tour to London in October!
In addition to the creation of Wise Blue Yonder I also started another marketing agency, Blue Sparq Marketing. I continued to receive requests from clients and employees for marketing agency services so I started Blue Sparq in May 2024. We are a full-service agency that brings clients the unique marketing strategies and programs they need to unlock awareness, interest and growth that makes a difference. We’ve been fortunate to have amazing clients, supported by an amazing team, with steady and significant growth.
Tellijohn: How did you get connected with EO and what’s your role right now?
Roth: I got connected with Entrepreneurs Organization (EO) through a friend who was in EO. My agency had just won a major new client, which was tripling our growth in one year. I was overwhelmed at how to scale to support the coming growth. My friend said, “you need EO!” And the rest is history!
I’ve been in EO for about seven years now and I can honestly say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. EO has made me a better leader, wife, mother and better version of myself. My fellow entrepreneurs have helped me navigate growth, COVID, selling a business, starting two new ones, raising teenagers, family crises and more. They are my lifeline.
Another very cool thing about EO is the global network. It spans 80 countries and includes 18,000 entrepreneurs across the globe. As my role in EO has grown, I’ve had an opportunity to travel to places like Cape Town, South Africa; Marrakech, Morocco and recently Singapore to attend global events and they have been nothing short of transformational. I’ve met friends from around the world, attended globally renown speakers, received top notch training and have had several once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
About four years ago I joined the Board for EO as the marketing chair. I also have serves as chair of member engagement and In May will be taking over as president.
Tellijohn: What’s going on with the event coming up – what are the highlights, what are the goals?
Roth: The Entrepreneurs Rally is May 9th at the JW Marriott and it will be THE entrepreneurial event of the year in Minnesota. The Rally brings together 500-plus entrepreneurs for a day of networking, learning and fun. Business owners and leaders can expect to meet new people, get business ideas and leads, and be inspired!
This year kicks off with speed mentoring where entrepreneurs participate in mentoring roundtables led by proven entrepreneurs. We also have two incredible keynotes – Candace Mama, VOGUE Paris’ 2020 Person of the Year, and Johnny Cupcakes, named by Business Week as America’s #1 Young Entrepreneur.
Here’s a link where you can learn about the event. It includes the full agenda.
If you can’t make the event, check out an upcoming prospect luncheon to learn more about EO and meet up with some Minnesota entrepreneurs. The schedule is updated often and kept here.
Tellijohn: How long does this role last and what’s next for you?
Roth: I will serve as President for two years. I am not sure what comes next! I may consider expanding to a leadership role on the regional or global council for Entrepreneurs’ Organization. We also have a Past Presidents’ Council that serves as an advisory council to our current board to which I may apply.
Regardless, I am looking very forward to my time as president, building on the amazing foundation my predecessors have built. We have approximately 100 entrepreneurs (business owners with $1 million or more in annual revenue) and 50 accelerators (business owners with $250,000 – $1 million in annual revenue) within the Minnesota Chapter – it is a thriving and healthy program that I am confident will continue to grow.
Tellijohn: Anything else you’d like to add?
Roth: As a woman entrepreneur, I have found so much value in EO – connecting with men and women who run businesses themselves and understand the extreme highs, lows and in-betweens that come with running a business.
During my tenure, my goal is to make our Minnesota entrepreneurial community more diverse. When people of varying backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders come together, the potential is powerful. I want to infuse that into our thriving community.