Founder of innovative boxed water company to speak at business forum

Photo of Ben Gott.
Gott

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The entrepreneur behind boxed water will be the next speaker in the Entrepreneurship Forum speaker series at Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business.

Ben Gott, founder of Boxed Water is Better, will speak at 8 a.m. Friday, Nov. 11, in 2150 Schneider Hall. The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-5964 or at wmich.edu/business/e-rsvp. Free parking is available in Fetzer Center Lot 72F.

Boxed Water is Better

Based in Holland, Boxed Water Is Better is a sustainable water company that is changing the way water is sold, shipped and consumed. The company aims to provide consumers a better option when purchasing water, while still enjoying the convenience of grab-and-go. Each carton is recyclable, 100 percent bisphenol A or BPA free and made using paper from well-managed forests. The product is sensibly sourced and purposely purified near end consumption to reduce the transportation carbon footprint. Boxed Water is currently sold nationally and is becoming more readily available every day.

Ben Gott

Gott began exploring the creative and business world at the age of 18, during the first dot-com boom. With no formal training or education, Gott taught himself the ins and outs of programming, focusing on merging information architecture and design.

He has since developed a somewhat avant-garde focus on entrepreneurship that led him to work on and create a variety of businesses in a handful of industries from beverage, to enterprise technology, venture capital, fashion and home goods. Some of his projects include founding Boxed Water Is Better and creating the object company, Benjamin Edgar.

About Entrepreneurship Forum

Entrepreneurship Forum is a monthly series sponsored by BlueOx Credit Union and hosted by Western Michigan University's Haworth College of Business. The forum brings stories of entrepreneurs and startup success to the greater Kalamazoo community. To learn more about the series, visit wmich.edu/business/entrepreneurship-forum.

Future Entrepreneurship Forum Speakers

  • Dec. 9: T.J. Woldofsky and Chris O'Neill, One Well Brewing
  • Jan. 13: Karen Smoots, Green Glove Dryer

For more information or to RSVP please call (269) 387-5964 or register at wmich.edu/business/e-rsvp. To suggest an entrepreneur who should be considered for the series, contact Alyssa Benson at alyssa.benson@wmich.edu.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.