Meet Our Founders & Leadership Team

Steve Acorn

As Founder and CEO of Acorn Pro Painting, Steve Acorn brings more than 40 years of entrepreneurial experience to developing brands, mentoring business owners, and building successful painting businesses. His legacy began with the founding of the Student Painters program, which has empowered generations of young entrepreneurs to gain hands-on business experience and develop leadership skills.

In 1987, Steve brought Student Painters to Michigan, growing the business into a multi-territory residential painting operation serving clients across eight states, from Michigan to New England. Today, he continues that legacy through Acorn Pro Painting, helping aspiring franchise owners pursue business ownership with the knowledge gained from decades in the industry.

Steve also founded the Leaders Across America podcast in 2020 to highlight YEAA graduates and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs. A member of the Detroit Chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) since 2004, he remains dedicated to developing leaders and helping others build businesses of their own.

Learn more about Steve's legacy and 40+ years of experience through Young Entrepreneurs Across America: yeaainternship.com

Michael Acorn

As Chief Operating Officer, Michael is responsible for all the day-to-day operations of the entire franchise system, training new franchises, and mentorship across all locations. He has coached over 60 successful student entrepreneurs through his time with Student Painters and will be using this experience to help all new franchises joining Acorn Pro Painting. A graduate from Michigan State University, Michael is passionate for extracting high performance out of anyone that works with him. His competitive nature drives anyone around him to achieve their goals and live a life of fulfillment.

Fun facts about Michael:

• Michigan State Graduate (2022)
• Played competitive ice hockey for 14 years
• Has enjoyed playing golf ever since his hole-in-one at 8 years old
• In his free time, you can find Michael fishing
• 5-year Student Painter Branch Manager
• Lived in North Carolina for 2 years while operating the Carolinas division of Student Painters

Sara Acorn

Sara Acorn brings more than 30 years of experience in business operations, financial management, and leadership development to her role as Chief Financial Officer of Acorn Pro Painting.

Beginning her career in 1993, Sara has built a strong foundation in entrepreneurship and mentoring the next generation of leaders. As an owner of Campus Information Services (CIS), she has spent decades supporting the growth of Young Entrepreneurs Across America and Student Painters.

Sara believes successful businesses are built on relationships, integrity, accountability, and genuinely caring about the people you work with and serve. She brings these values to Acorn Pro Painting.

Her philosophy is simple: Lead with faith and integrity, invest in people, and never stop growing.

Fun facts about Sara:

• Enjoys reading and her book club
• Active in a women's business development group
• Faith, family, and wellness are central to her life
• Loves hiking, the outdoors, and traveling with family and friends

Blake Lancaster

As General Manager, Blake is responsible for training franchisees with in-field processes, grand opening preparations and painter recruitment/oversight. He has 6 years of job-site management experience with Student Painters and is now running the corporate location of Acorn Pro Painting. Blake is devoted to delivering the highest quality results to clients and leaving them a lasting impression. His experience allows him to relate with painters which increases employee retention and creates an enjoyable work environment.

Fun facts about Blake:

• Competitive swimmer for 4 years
• You'll find him in his free time wakeboarding or wake surfing
• Has been running a Dungeons & Dragons campaign since 2018
• Values time with family, friends, and his dog, Rylie

Laura Acorn

Laura plays an important role in keeping Acorn Pro Painting running smoothly, overseeing office operations, supporting team development, and helping ensure a positive experience for both employees and customers. With a strong background in business operations, leadership, and organization, she enjoys finding ways to improve processes, support the team, and contribute to the continued growth of the company.

As part of the Acorn family, Laura takes pride in being part of a business built on hard work, strong relationships, and a commitment to doing things the right way. She values creating a welcoming environment where people feel supported and the team can succeed together.

Fun facts about Laura:

• Enjoys traveling
• Loves spending time with family and friends
• Always trying new coffee spots and restaurants
• Spends her free time with her dog
• Brings an upbeat, people-oriented personality to her work and loves being part of a team that feels like family

Madison Bourgeois

Madison supports Acorn Pro Painting’s marketing and brand development by designing marketing materials, creating digital content, and maintaining a consistent brand identity across platforms. From promotional materials and print designs to website content and social media, she helps bring the Acorn Pro Painting brand to life and communicate the company’s value to prospective franchise owners and customers. She also supports marketing initiatives across the company’s brands, helping strengthen brand awareness and create a professional, cohesive presence.

Fun facts about Madison:

• Participated in the Disney College Program in 2023, living and working at Walt Disney World Resort for a year
• Always has a book on her reading list
• Loves discovering new music and listening to her favorite artists
• Enjoys watching movies and binge-worthy TV shows
• Loves spending quality time with family, friends, and her dog, Hutch

Aaron Acorn

Aaron fills a key role as a consultant for franchise owners the moment they are ready to scale their business to the next level. With 19 years of business growth coaching with Student Painters, he will be able to help any new franchise scale their location to the highest potential.

Leading up to his role in Acorn Pro Painting, he is currently a part of the Student Painters organization running all key operations and management roles as president of the Michigan and New England divisions. This role mentors interns to learn transferable skills needed in marketing, sales, recruiting and budgeting after they graduate.

Fun facts about Aaron:

• Graduate from Michigan State University
• Enjoys golfing and playing hockey in his free time
• A fan of F1 racing
• Loves to travel with his family