Justin Hickman was born in Minneapolis and attended a Montessori school through 6th grade when his family moved to Wayzata. Attending school in Wayzata, Justin was active in Varsity athletics and DECA, a marketing and leadership organization. He competed through DECA in business projects going to the State competitions. After graduating from high school in 2000, he went on to receive his B.A. in Marketing from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Justin graduated from Drake in 2004 and was able to travel to Hebei province, China, to take part in a postgraduate program through Drake teaching English at a K-12 school. Working and studying in China not only provided him with the opportunity to learn Chinese but also to develop relationships and learn more about the culture and people of China. Upon his return to the U.S., he initiated a family wine importation and distribution company with his father and began a business relationship with his Chinese counterparts to import the newly developed Chinese Wines. This business is now growing to include importation from several other countries also.

Justin has been instrumental in the development of TonkaBlue, a non-profit, lake-centered promotion and education venture. Justin and his business partner have been working actively on securing grants and support for developing promotional materials and educational content to deliver their message to elementary and middle school children.