He attended East High School in Sioux City, and played for their baseball and basketball teams.

He worked for firms in Minneapolis and Seattle that focused on intellectual property, and returned to Sioux City after the 2016 United States elections.

His arrival came after the club required an addition pitcher following a litany of injuries and issues with a Japanese player's visa.

[5] On July 6, 2024, Scholten played over six innings for the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association of Professional Baseball as starting pitcher after receiving a last-minute phone call from the team's manager.

[12] In the 2018 elections, Scholten ran against Republican incumbent Steve King for the United States House of Representatives in Iowa's 4th congressional district.

[16] In January 2019, Scholten announced the formation of a nonprofit group to help low-income Iowans gain more information about the earned income tax credit.