Snow Scholars is a residential snow removal service that operates on six college campuses across the Midwest. The company was founded in 2022 by Jake Piekarski and Philip Loveland in Madison, Wisconsin. It addresses two pressing needs: providing reliable snow removal services for homeowners and offering flexible, high-paying jobs for college students.
Jake Piekarski, a student at the Wisconsin School of Business with a focus on management and entrepreneurship, is the founder and CEO of Snow Scholars. He has a history of entrepreneurial ventures, including ChoreHub, a home maintenance company that employs college students, and JPS Surfboards, a custom surfboard business. Piekarski’s experience in sales, marketing, and software development has been instrumental in Snow Scholars’ growth. He is also the founder of Bascom 2 Business, a consulting initiative for student entrepreneurs. Philip Loveland plays a key role in managing and overseeing operations on multiple campuses.
Snow Scholars employs hundreds of college students to provide snow removal services to homeowners. The company operates on six campuses: the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Western Michigan University, and Michigan State University. Services are specifically designed to meet the needs of both students and homeowners. Snow Scholars uses shovels and blowers for snow removal instead of plows, offering consistent pricing regardless of snowfall depth.
Customers can select between full-season or vacation snow removal plans. Full-season plans provide savings of up to 30%, while vacation plans are billed per snowfall. Homeowners are notified via email about dispatch decisions based on weather conditions. Snow Scholars guarantees snow removal by the end of the day when the snow stops and aims to clear snow within six hours under typical conditions. During severe storms, service is usually completed within 24 hours.
Snow Scholars’ workforce is thoroughly vetted through detailed application reviews and interviews. Candidates are evaluated on their past experience, attention to detail, and ability to follow instructions. The company ensures that its workers align with its mission to provide safe and reliable service while allowing students the flexibility to prioritize academics.
Snow Scholars offers one of the highest-paying campus jobs for students. These roles help reduce financial burdens by enabling students to earn money for tuition and living expenses. Flexible scheduling ensures that students can maintain their academic responsibilities while contributing to their communities. The company’s workforce is described as diligent, reliable, and detail-oriented, with a strong focus on community service.
In addition to snow removal, Snow Scholars addresses ice build-up using salt and sand provided by the homeowner. This service is included at no additional cost. Workers are trained to handle ice effectively while ensuring the safety of the property. Snow Scholars does not use ice picks to protect surfaces from damage. Customers are billed monthly for full-season plans or within 24 hours of service completion for vacation plans.
Snow Scholars aims to expand to additional college campuses nationwide. The company’s vision is to create a trusted name in snow removal while supporting student communities with meaningful job opportunities. Founder Jake Piekarski is working on improving the company’s software to track workers in real time, increasing efficiency and enhancing customer experience.
Snow Scholars was conceived when Piekarski noticed a gap in reliable snow removal services and flexible, well-paying student jobs. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he went door-to-door offering shoveling services and realized the potential for a structured business model. Snow Scholars has since grown to serve over 350 homes in under 12 hours during peak snowfalls, thanks to its efficient operations and dedicated workforce.
Snow Scholars combines practical solutions for homeowners with meaningful opportunities for students, making it a unique and effective business model.
