Managing Director / Age 27
gener8tor
Andrew Schmitz’s first career path was as a lighting designer for theatre. “The biggest production I worked on was the 2017 Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular in NYC,” says Schmitz, adding that it was the experience of a lifetime — but his heart was in Wisconsin and on creating his own business.
Schmitz went on to found Proceed.app in 2019 and Micronet in 2022; he’s now serving both in an advisory role.
“Starting these two companies and growing their impact has been not only internally rewarding but has connected me with a lot of great people,” he says.
Schmitz is also the founder of Fox Valley Connect, the earliest version of Micronet. He says he created it to pair professionals for coffee meetings. As managing director of the U.S. Venture Sustainability Accelerator within gener8tor, Schmitz continues to help people make connections, supporting gener8tor’s mission of investing across race, place and gender.
“I am very proud of the important work we do every day at gener8tor in regards to being the best partner for a community to invest in its best and brightest,” he says.
The Xavier High School grad also has volunteered and supported organizations focused on entrepreneurship and the arts, including coaching technical theater at several area high schools.
The best advice he received was to be selective about receiving advice. “People will ‘should’ all over you,” he says. “As a founder, your job is figuring out what ‘shoulds’ you should listen to.”
