Kristen Holtan: Inno Under 25

After growing up struggling with physical health issues as well as anxiety and depression, Kristen Holtan enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater without much drive or motivation. But after attending an entrepreneurship club meeting to fulfill an academic requirement, she hit a turning point.

"That day, my life did a 180," she said.

As part of an activity at the meeting, Holtan was asked to make a list of problems and come up with a business idea to solve one of them. Thinking about a nighttime snowboarding accident she'd previously been involved in, she pitched an idea that eventually became Socialightz, a company that sold light kits to customize and illuminate snowboards, bikes and longboards.

Holtan pursued Socialightz while getting involved in the entrepreneurship community at UW-Whitewater through the Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization and the school's Launch Pad startup accelerator program.

"I just really came out of my shell and discovered this whole world of opportunities," Holtan said. "My world just kind of opened up."

At a pitch competition in 2017, Holtan met Dustin Herte, who was starting Blue Line Battery, which currently designs lithium-ion batteries in a way that makes them easier to manufacture and distribute to industrial customers.

Herte offered to help Holtan with prototyping and Holtan returned the favor with marketing and graphic design support, she said. In May 2018, Herte offered Holtan a full-time position. Putting Socialightz on hold, she joined the team while still in college.

Holtan balanced work and school until graduating in 2020, when she began focusing on Blue Line Battery full time. As the only marketer on the team, she built the company's brand, wrote its sales and marketing copy, managed social media and took on some sales lead generation, she said.

Today, Holtan said she's focused on growing the company's marketing team as well as ramping up content creation efforts to increase market awareness through video and email campaigns, newsletters, LinkedIn posts and trade show exhibitions. Blue Line Battery has raised at least $1.5 million to date from investors including Beloit's Grey Collar Ventures.

Looking ahead, Holtan said she'd like to get into public speaking to share insights about handling hardships and turning them into opportunities. She also envisions starting future companies.

"I like the challenge (of entrepreneurship), I like the ups and downs," Holtan said. "I've learned to like the unknown and I've learned to like what could be."

Kristen Holtan