About Us
Founders
Ennette Bednarz, CEO & SMM
My name is Ennette Bednarz, and I have been playing volleyball since 2022. I've noticed that I rarely have played on a court that is well taken care of while playing volleyball, and I am determined to find a solution for this. I work a lot for the social media for Grip Essentials, making vlogs, slideshows, advertisements, and more.
Bella Bertolo, CMO
My name is Bella Bertolo, and I am an aspiring entrepreneur at Naperville North High School. I've played club volleyball from 6th to 10th grade. I'm driven to solve real problems athletes face in order to elevate their performance and confidence. I plan on attending Arizona State University and major in Marketing at the W.P Carey School of Business.
Johnathon Stevenson, CFO
My name is Johnathon Stevenson, and I am an aspiring entrepreneur at Naperville North High School. I have a strong interest in finance and plan to pursue a minor in this field, which has led me to serve as the company's finance manager. In this role, I oversee budgeting, margins, profitability, and other key financial responsibilities. I am deeply passionate about this business, especially because of its mission to help improve safety on the courts for athletes of all levels.
Kristupas Karciauskas, COO
My name is Kristupas Karciauskas, and I am a senior at Naperville North High School. I have been actively playing volleyball since 2022, during which I have experienced multiple injuries caused by traction loss on the court. These experiences have inspired my passion to develop solutions that enhance athlete safety and performance. I am pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and it is through this background that I created the formula behind Grip Essentials Grip-E Spray.