MUSKEGON, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – A West Michigan teen’s passion for Lake Michigan has now turned into a business with a portion of the proceeds going towards the Alliance for the Great Lakes.
17-year-old Jackson Riegler of Muskegon has a love for the Great Lakes growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan. It was the Trump’s Administration’s threat of cuts to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and the threat of invasive species such as Asian Carp that prompted Riegler to start a clothing line. Using the inspiration of such entrepreneurs as Elon Musk and Steve Jobs, Riegler came up with the idea that would help in the fight to protect the Great Lakes. A business course at Aquinas College gave him the tools to get the project off the ground.
His business is called OSHKI. The word “Oshki” means “Fresh” in Ojibwe, a Native American tribe native to the Midwest and Michigan. Riegler’s mission at Oshki is to raise awareness of the threats to the Great Lakes with 5% of proceeds going to the Alliance for the Great Lakes. His passion is infectious.
“I was really motivated to do something for the Great Lakes because we don’t realize how great we’ve got it. Once I started thinking of designs, it just took off from there. What I want to do right now is start expanding to a lot of the cities that surround the Great Lakes.”
The clothing line features comfortable clothing with the OSHKI logo and retails from $27.99 to $21.99 and can be ordered online.
Riegler is a Senior at Muskegon Catholic Central and when he’s not attending to his new business or on the Crusader football field, you’ll find him at Pere Marquette Beach hanging with friends and enjoying everything Lake Michigan has to offer. So much so that there isn’t a day that goes by when he’s not there, even if it’s just for a sunset.
Jackson Riegler is the son of Andy and Andrea Riegler of Muskegon.
