About Start Something Studio
Start Something Studio is the brainchild of Jamie Saam and Lisa Koivu. Jamie and Lisa see small businesses as the heartbeat of the economic community and understand that each town needs healthy, local businesses to remain relevant to its community members and visitors alike.
Start Something Studio seeks to reach local women entrepreneurs and founders at every stage of start-up. We aim to help entrepreneurs through smart, sustainable support by empowering them to learn and grow.
Mission
The mission of Start Something Studio is to move small businesses forward through honest, expert connections, advice, and assistance.
Lisa Koivu
Co-Founder of Start Something Studio, Inc.
In 2017, Lisa and her family moved to the Fox Valley and she switched gears a bit, launching She Soars Digital. Using the industry knowledge she’d built up over the years, Lisa started helping entrepreneurs create engaging web presences, including designing websites, Search Engine Optimization, and developing social media strategies.
Before living the online nomad life (without the nomad part), Lisa was an Associate Dean of Admission at Lake Forest Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Arts. Somewhere in there, she obtained a Masters’s in Public Administration from DePaul University.
Lisa is originally from the Detroit area but moved to Chicago immediately after graduating from the University of Michigan. She has now lived in Illinois longer than she lived in Michigan but will always be a Michigander at heart. Lisa lives in Geneva with her husband, two kids, and two dogs. She does a lot of work in the middle of the night and while she’s sitting in the car waiting for her kids to get out of school and/or their events. In her free time (ha!), she enjoys reading and planning her family’s next vacation.
Jamie Saam
Co-Founder of Start Something Studio, Inc.
Jamie Saam spent the bulk of her childhood and now her adulthood in the Batavia community, and the roots she has formed here run deep. Jamie went to college in Chicago, intending to stay there and raise her family. During her time in the city, she worked as a bartender, server, and eventually restaurant manager, learning a great deal about people and small businesses.
Jamie and her husband moved back to the suburbs and made the leap into entrepreneurship in 2011, forming Bulldog Plumbing Inc., becoming a fixture in Batavia and one of its biggest cheerleaders. Jamie has always had a hand in their plumbing business, but in wanting to make her own mark on her community, she served as an alderman from 2013-2015. She left that position in 2015 to become the Executive Director of Batavia MainStreet, providing Jamie with an opportunity to help revitalize downtown Batavia. This position cemented her place in the community as an advocate for and supporter of small businesses, through projects like the Batavia Boardwalk Shops Incubator Program. This all helped to pave the way for the formulation of Start Something Studio with Lisa!
Outside of her professional life, Jamie loves spending time with her husband and two teenage sons, relishing her current role of Hockey & Football Mom! When she is outside of the Batavia area, you can find her in other small towns, shopping and supporting those businesses and communities.
Becky Zora
Social Media Consultant
With a unique blend of experience in both corporate and educational settings, Becky brings a well-rounded skill set to her position. Her career began as an operations specialist at Tiffany & Co., later transitioning into nearly a decade of teaching—two paths that, while different, both reflect her core passion: helping others to excel and achieve their goals. That passion ultimately led her to launch BZ Virtual Solutions, where she supports entrepreneurs by streamlining their operations through administrative and digital marketing services.
Outside of her business, Becky is a proud wife, devoted mom to two amazing kids, and dog mom to a loyal pup. Her deep love for family and community recently inspired a move back to her hometown of Wheaton, where she’s committed to helping local businesses grow and thrive.
In her spare time, Becky’s adventurous spirit shines through. She loves to travel, finding joy and inspiration in new places and cultures. She also prioritizes her physical and mental wellness through HIIT, barre, and yogalates, and unwinds by reading, cooking, listening to podcasts, or enjoying time on the water during the summer months.
