When it comes to his legacy among Wisconsin’s business ecosystem, Jerry Jendusa doesn’t like to be referred to as a “serial entrepreneur.” In fact, he has a slight distaste for the term. He’d prefer to be known for his continuous work in fostering and supporting local business leaders.
Key to this work is a natural determination and drive that Jendusa has had since youth, according to Paul Schulls, a longtime colleague and co-founder (with Jendusa) and president of BreakthrU Coaching.
“We met in high school, freshman year,” said Schulls. “What struck me about (Jendusa), at 14, is how driven he was and the types of things that he wanted to accomplish.”
Becoming a leader was something Jendusa had to learn quickly at the age of 27, when he helped launch New Berlin-based Emteq Inc., a manufacturer of aircraft interior and exterior lighting systems and aircraft cabin management and power systems.
Jendusa co-founded Emteq in 1995 with Jim Harasha, who he met while working at the Brookfield-based medical device company RF Technologies. The two men still work together to this day.
“I would say I had to go from being an entrepreneur to a professional manager and leader who had a ton of discipline really, really fast,” said Jendusa. “(Jim) was your typical integrator, and I was more of the visionary, so it made a really great team.”
Schulls became part of the Emteq team during its 10th year in business. He joined the company as Jendusa was looking to surround himself with a professional development team.
“He would put the plans in place to develop the people,” said Schulls. “Then, he got out of the way. That’s how Emteq was able to scale like it did, because otherwise, the leader can get in the way of the growth.”
Together, Jendusa and Harasha grew Emteq into a $100 million company, and then sold it in 2014. While the sale of Emteq was a difficult decision to make, Jendusa said it was the right move as the company created at least 40 other “high-powered” leaders who have gone on to run other companies.
“We never want to hold people back,” he said. “You divide and multiply your superstars.”
Jendusa didn’t remain idle for long. Following the sale of Emteq, he continued pursuing his passion of mentoring business leaders through the formation of BreakthrU Coaching. The business advisory company develops early-career leaders and helps companies with yearly planning, talent assessment, succession planning and more. The business structure that Jendusa and his colleagues developed and perfected while working at Emteq became the framework for BreakthrU Coaching.
“We teach process aligned with strategy and a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Jendusa.
Even before BreakthrU Coaching was officially formed, Schulls said Jendusa was already gaining notoriety for his system of running a business while developing leaders. The team at Emteq took on several companies as clients prior to the business being sold.
“Once we had proven – through helping other organizations, friends and family – that this model and these tools work, we thought, ‘We’re on to something.’ This is our second act, a way to give back but also to grow this model,” said Schulls.
What makes the BreakthrU Coaching method of leadership development and business coaching so unique, said Schulls, is the involvement of the entire leadership team, not just the owner.
“The entire team can work on determined initiatives throughout the year to scale the business versus the owner feeling like they need to do it on their own,” said Schulls.
Jendusa, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BizTimes Media Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum in November, supports several other organizations through his BreakthrU family of companies.
He’s a majority owner and chairman of the board of Muskego-based biotech company Xiogenix as well as a board member and investor in Lexington, Kentucky-based Ardent Animal Health. He’s also an investor in Monona-based solid surface manufacturer Vendura Industries.
In recent years, Jendusa’s knack for mentorship has propelled him into the local spotlight, starring as a mogul on WISN-TV Channel 12’s “Project Pitch It,” a local version of the ABC TV show “Shark Tank.” Heading into its eighth season, “Project Pitch It” has showcased 170 Wisconsin entrepreneurs, with 92% of them still in business.
“You love the story of the entrepreneur that came from rags to riches, but at the end of the day it’s leadership and it’s grit,” said Jendusa. “It’s rigor and discipline and proactively doing things, but most importantly it’s leading others. Most entrepreneurs fail to grow into leaders.”
In his role as co-chair for Scale-Up Milwaukee, Jendusa has helped even more southeastern Wisconsin businesses accelerate their growth. He’s also an advisory board member for the Lubar Entrepreneurship Center at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, his alma mater. In 2016, Jendusa donated $1 million to the Lubar Center to support an entrepreneur-in-residence program for students.
Even with his ever-growing list of titles and commitments, Jendusa remains focused on continuous improvement, both in his personal life and professional life.
“The day you feel you’ve arrived is the day you should get out,” he said.
Looking back at nearly two decades of working with Jendusa, Schulls anticipates the values and lessons his colleague has helped instill within countless Wisconsin entrepreneurs and business leaders will continue to be passed down through generations.
“The hope is that these efforts outlive us and the initial impacts they have in our organization,” said Schulls. “Leadership, gratitude, serving others… those sorts of values are what we want to live on. When (Jendusa) starts something, they then take on a life of their own.”
Watch video below to hear Jendusa's comments at the BizTimes Media Innovation + Entrepreneurship Forum.
