The Grossman School of Business is excited to host the Pursuing Entrepreneurial Ventures Panel on Monday, November 13, 2023 from noon – 1:30 p.m. in the Ifshin Hall Keller Room. Open to all UVM students, the panel will welcome four business owner panelists highlighting entrepreneurial ventures, including three UVM alum: Diane Abruzzini Riggs G’17, co-founder and COO at Rigorous Technology; Adam Liszewski ’22, founder and current CEO of STOKES All Natural Firestarters, LLC; Chas Smith G’15, co-founder and CEO of Sap! Beverages; and Sas Stewart, founder of Adventure Dinner. 

The event is perfect for UVM students interested in exploring the intricacies of starting their own businesses as panelists will offer a wealth of knowledge, practical advice, and personal stories from starting their own businesses.  

Panelists’ Background 


Diane Abruzinni Riggs G’17 
Co-Founder and CEO, Rigorous Technology 

Diane Abruzzini Riggs is the co-founder and COO at Rigorous Technology, an industrial robotics company in Williston, VT. Rigorous was founded in 2020 in order to make robotics more accessible to small and medium-size manufacturers. Diane runs business operations including marketing, sales, and finance for this growing startup. Diane graduated from UVM's Sustainable Innovation MBA program in 2017, after which she focused her career on software and technology businesses. Diane joined Rigorous in 2021 and the company has since grown to a team of ten with customers across the country, including their home state of Vermont. Rigorous has created turnkey robotic products for corrugated box manufacturing and injection molding.  


Sas Stewart 
Founder, Adventure Dinner 

Sas Stewart is a serial entrepreneur passionate about creating spaces that foster joy, acceptance and celebration—a pursuit she has manifested over her 20 years in hospitality. She was named Imbibe Magazine’s 75 inspiring people influencing the way you’ll drink in 2023, and one of the top 50 entrepreneurs in the nation in 2019. Her projects have been featured in Travel + Leisure, Martha Stewart Living, Food and Wine, Outside Magazine, Sift, Bloomberg, Better Homes & Gardens and other publications. Prior to launching Adventure Dinner, Sas was the co-founder of the award-winning distillery Stonecutter Spirits and Highball Social Cocktail Bar. She is a graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders program and holds a B.A in English from the University of Michigan and a M.S. in Sustainable Planning and Development from Pratt Institute. 


Adam Liszewski ’22 
Founder and CEO, STOOKES All Natural Firestarters, LLC 

Adam Liszewski ‘22 is a dynamic entrepreneur and business leader with a diverse background in business administration and a passion for sustainability. Adam's entrepreneurial spirit came to life when he founded and currently serves as the CEO of STOKES All Natural Firestarters, LLC, a company that produces all-natural firestarters using sustainable ingredients. He graduated from the University of Vermont's Grossman School of Business in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a minor in Psychology. Under his leadership, STOKES has experienced remarkable double-digit growth year over year. He has also played a pivotal role in building strong partnerships with clients, distributors, and vendors. Adam's innovative approach led to the successful establishment of a Direct-to-Consumer vertical with Amazon and the management of co-packing and direct sales in over 1000 stores internationally.  


Chas Smith G’15
Co-Founder and CEO, Sap! Beverages

Chas is the founder of Sap! Beverages. He originally from Burlington, Vermont and graduated from the SI-MBA Program in 2015. He incubated Sap! while at UVM and formally launched the company after completing his degree. Before coming back to UVM, he worked for Senator Patrick Leahy on the Senate Judiciary Committee as a Legislative Aide in Washington, DC. Chas is an active member of the start-up/entrepreneurship community in Vermont and advises a number of other businesses in the food & beverage industry and beyond. 

Interested in delving further into entrepreneurship? The University of Vermont has many opportunities for students to learn more about starting their own businesses: 

  • The Joy and Jerrys Meyers Cup is currently accepting applications for business drafts to win $212,500 plus in-kind services to launch a Vermont based business this spring. 
  • The Entrepreneurship Club is a student-run organization that works to provide its members with the experience of running their own business through guest speaker seminars, pitch competitions, idea-thons, and community projects.  
  • Courses tailored to students interested in an entrepreneurial interdisciplinary theme through the Grossman School of Business and community entrepreneurship through the School of Community of Development and Applied Economics are available at the University of Vermont. 
  • The Office of Vice President for Research is dedicated to assisting students, faculty, and staff in research, scholarships or creative works, and helping translate ideas into business adventures.