Publishing student Heather Elwing, CPS ‘25, has advanced to the final round of GW’s annual New Venture Competition (NVC) where she will compete alongside other GW students for up to $400,000 in prizes.
Heather, a professional pet groomer of over 25 years, enrolled in the publishing master’s program with a dream of founding a professional pet grooming magazine. Now she’s bringing that dream to life with the help of her business partner, Carole Ellis.
Their idea is The Contemporary Groomer, a professional development magazine for pet groomers and those interested in the pet grooming industry. The magazine aims to be fun, but also educational– it will be journalistically based and provide readers with “credible information” to create a “more knowledgeable and consistent [pet grooming] industry.”
“In the course of almost 30 years in the pet grooming industry, I have noticed a severe lack of pet grooming focused content that actually helps a professional grow their career. It is my intention to create a new trade publication that takes an unbiased, journalistic approach to the pet grooming industry. It is my goal to create a reliable and credible source for professionals looking to achieve more out of their careers while bringing credibility to our mostly unregulated industry.”
Heather Elwing
CPS '25
Heather and Carole will pitch The Contemporary Groomer to NVC investors on Wednesday, April 10. Free tickets to the April 11 New Venture Competition Award Ceremony are available now.
A selection of Heather's clients pose for photos with their new styles.