After a summer spent studying in China, UW-Madison undergraduate Ben Nyquist came back to Madison with more than just a suitcase full of souvenirs: he had an idea for a business.
Thanks to a student exchange between UW-Madison and Nankai University, Nyquist spent three months in Tianjin, China, where he earned a full year’s worth of language credits in a single summer. A sophomore at the time, he had no knowledge of Chinese-or international business. But, with an ear for foreign languages and an eye for opportunity, he’s merged both subjects into an entrepreneurial plan for life after graduation.
Today, as a twenty-two-year-old senior finishing up three bachelor’s degrees-in political science, Spanish, and Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies (LACIS)-Nyquist is poised to launch his first company, EnergE-Bikes, in Madison.
Nyquist saw his first electric bicycle in Tianjin, a crowded metropolis located southeast of Beijing, on the Bohai Gulf. All over the city, sturdy two-wheelers hummed along the streets, powered by a motor and a tiny battery tucked underneath the seat.
“You’ve got nine million people living on top of one another, so no one owns a car,” remembers Nyquist.
And while the riders weren’t Midwesterners, the whole scene couldn’t help but make him think of home.
“In Madison, everyone bikes. Everyone has a moped. I thought, ‘How great would it be to bring this to campus?’”
And so that’s what he’s doing. Nyquist and his close friend Spencer Morrison, a triple major in Chinese, International Business, and Management and Human Resources, whom Nyquist met in the Tanjian program, have just completed negotiations to import 60 e-bikes into Wisconsin from China.
“At first, I just really wanted one for myself,” admits Nyquist. “I mean it’s way cheaper than a car. It’s less pollution. It’s just an awesome idea.”
So, in an adventurous language experiment, Nyquist and Morrison started cold calling Chinese companies. “We were very surprised how interested they were in talking to us,” says Nyquist. “Three companies said, ‘Hey, let’s set up a meeting.’ And we were like, ‘Why not?’ ”
In a matter of days, the young Americans had an appointment to visit a factory. A team of Chinese businessmen was waiting for them, and they found themselves talking face-to-face with an export expert. The idea of actually importing a bike was slowly becoming more of a possibility.
“We were totally unprepared. We knew nothing. It was totally another adventure,” recalled Nyquist, beaming at the memory.
By the end of August 2007, Nyquist and Morrison, whose Chinese-language skills had improved explosively over the summer, had begun negotiations for an export deal. They quickly adapted to the cultural nuances of business dealings in Chinese, test drove a few bikes, compared prices, and found companies that were willing to ship bikes overseas. Now, one year later, EnergE-Bikes is a full-fledged business venture. Nyquist notes he’s already received a few orders from California. This spring, he and Morrison will be ready to get their bikes on the streets of Madison.
A strong proponent of UW-Madison and study abroad, Nyquist credits his school’s international outlook for the inspiration of launching his trans-Pacific project.
When choosing a college, Nyquist says he “really wanted to be around people with international understanding. At UW, there was just an overwhelmingly welcome attitude to foreign cultures. Even if some students hadn’t yet had experiences abroad, they definitely wanted to. Even now, when I tell classmates about my travels, they say, ‘That’s so cool! I want to do that!’ ”
Once Nyquist’s e-bikes are cruising around the capital city, he’ll probably get the same reaction.
