Andrew Crane

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

“A thoughtful, hardworking guy who loves to make things, especially beer.”

Hometown: Dalton, Massachusetts

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am also a volunteer firefighter in Dalton, MA

Undergraduate School and Major: Brown University – Mechanical Engineering

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Shire Breu-Hous, Owner/Head Brewer/Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Successfully opening a brewery and restaurant.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Inclusive. The classmates I’ve met so far are incredibly smart and accomplished, but they have also been so warm and welcoming, and quick to include everyone in discussions and activities.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? I chose Wharton because of the caliber of the school. It was a tough decision to step away from running the brewery day-to-day, but I knew that the first-class academics, strong extracurricular program, and the lasting impact a school like Wharton has on the lives of its students would make it all worth it.

Talk to us about the team-based project you completed during the application process. What did you do that helped you stand out during it? Our team project was to organize an orientation weekend for incoming students this fall. I figured out pretty quickly that I didn’t come to the table with the best overall plan, but I think that I was able to do a good job of helping other teammates incorporate their good ideas into the discussion, and eventually into our final proposal.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? Beer Club (obviously), Soccer and Hockey teams, and Entrepreneurship Club

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “How is your business going to survive without you there every day?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Starting my own business made me realize quickly how steep the learning curve of entrepreneurship is. I wanted to get an MBA to be a better business owner for the brewery, and to help start other businesses in the future, but I had to wait for the right time. After two years of hard work, the brewery is finally established and self-sufficient enough for me to be able to take a step back from the day-to-day and focus on bigger-picture skills and goals.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? The day that I quit my “day job” as an engineer to start the brew-pub. Brewing had been a hobby for me for years, but finally taking the plunge and fully committing myself to it taught me to be more confident in myself, and that sometimes you need to take risks to see rewards.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Raising a family, running another start-up, and brewing even better beer.