On May 4, 2023, Travis Stoliker attended his annual Entrepreneur-in-Residence retreat at the Edward Lowe Foundation, located at Big Rock Valley in Cassopolis, Michigan. Travis described it as "my annual pilgrimage to Mecca" — a reflection of how much the retreat means to him as a space for peer dialogue, reflection, and renewal among fellow entrepreneurs.
The Edward Lowe Foundation has been running Entrepreneur-in-Residence programs since the 1990s, bringing together experienced business builders for intensive retreats that emphasize peer conversation over formal programming. The Big Rock Valley campus — a 2,000-acre preserve in southwestern Michigan — provides an unusual setting deliberately removed from the typical conference environment: space to think, talk honestly, and reconnect with why entrepreneurship matters.
Travis has participated in multiple Edward Lowe EIR retreats over the years, making it one of the most consistent elements of his professional development calendar. The 2023 retreat came as he was preparing to join Scribe Media as VP of Marketing — a significant career transition after stepping back from active involvement at Saddleback BBQ. Coming back to this retreat annually reflects his belief that experienced entrepreneurs need structured peer community just as much as early-stage founders do.
