COVID-19 undoubtedly had negative effects on the world. Students were impacted differently–much of their studies were suddenly transferred online, on-campus activities canceled, and summer internships and jobs postponed.
Andrew Krauter, a second-year full-time MBA student, was hit hard by the challenges the global pandemic presented, including losing the internship he originally lined up for the summer. However, what he soon came to realize was these challenges turned into a transformative opportunity that opened his eyes and allowed him to use his unique skillset to provide real value for his new internship – even completing one project that resulted in sales over $250,000 for the company.
Get to know Andrew, why he wanted to return for his master’s degree, his long-term goals and how a summer that started off disheartening and uncertain turned into a life-altering experience he won’t soon forget.
Question: Where did you attend undergrad? Why did you select Weatherhead as the school to pursue your MBA?
Andrew: I attended Ashland University to pursue degrees in business management, finance (personal asset management), and supply chain management. One of my mentors (Dr. Thomas Harvey) attended CWRU for his MBA and he couldn’t speak more highly of the opportunities the program provided him. I also knew that I wanted to end up living around Northeast Ohio after graduation due to family living within the area. That and my love for all Cleveland sports.
Question: What were you doing prior to coming to Weatherhead, and why did you feel it was necessary to go back for your MBA (i.e. gain new skills, grow network, etc.)?
Andrew: Prior to coming to Weatherhead I was working at a family owned beer distributor in Pittsburgh, PA working in inventory management. I was also consulting and assisting friends in a freelance capacity with multiple businesses ranging from a home healthcare company to real estate and an event planning businesses. I always thought I would get a Master’s degree at some point as my personal educational experience has been extremely rewarding. My main motivation was knowing that I didn’t want to work at a beer distributor for the next forty years. I wanted to experience the opportunities that an institution like Weatherhead and its network could provide for my future career.
Question: Over the past couple semesters, although it’s been different than regular semesters, what has stood to you as a student attending Weatherhead?
Andrew: Interacting daily with people who care. From the student body to teachers and support staff. They all have an active and invested interest in me personally, not just my career. I think the small class size Weatherhead really provides the opportunity to truly get to know people. Just today while in Professor Goldberg’s Beyond Silicon Valley course another participant reached out via LinkedIn. He previously had visited Israel with Ashland University’s MBA, and that was why he reached out. It turns out that his daughter works at the company that’s been sponsoring a pilot program of another company I’ve been helping with through Brite Energy Innovators. Hopefully she’ll become a great internal advocate for the pilot program.
Question: Can you briefly discuss your participation in the REP program and what it did for you as a professional?
Andrew: The REP program saved my summer and provided some life changing opportunities. My traditional internships were canceled as a result of COVID-19 and I was scrambling to any sort of alternative. After interviewing with three companies, I chose to continue forward with Brite Energy Innovators. Knowing that I want to start my own business at some point, and having the knowledge that I have some serious skill gaps, Brite Energy Innovators really allowed me to see how to address those shortcomings as well as introduce me to a previously unknown ecosystem.
Having companies and industry professionals vouch for my broad skillset and allowing me to have actual input has been very empowering. Just one of the projects I’ve worked on resulted in sales over $250,000. The REP program has opened my eyes to the wide world of possibilities that entrepreneurs and the start-up ecosystem in Northeast Ohio could provide. The experience has really validated my choice to pursue an MBA and how valuable the network it’s provided to me is and will continue to be.
Question: Upon graduation, what are your career goals or career interests?
Andrew: To be honest, I always had the dream of working in an industry until I was 50 and then starting to teach while I pursued my entrepreneurial interests. Which industry really didn’t matter, but cultivating relationships and the skills required to help others has always been a passion of mine. My career interests are kind of like my personal ones; widespread and ever evolving. I have had an active interest in personal asset management and stock research for over a decade as well as a recent attraction to connecting the dots between how an idea turns into a business. The background I have in supply chain management simply gives me the tools to see how all the parts fit together.
Question: What else has stood out to you during your time at Weatherhead?
Andrew: The flexibility and personal empowerment within e curriculum has been amazing. I managed to take a nonprofit strategic planning course which focused helping an existing nonprofit develop a toolkit to meet its goals. Our groups work with A Pause 4 The Cause has resulted in the organization receiving funding from three grants, application to a mentorship program through Social Venture Partners, and the potential to find corporate sponsors for widespread internet access for its target market. Another example was Professor Fine’s efforts in helping investigate the potential of creating a graduate student investment club. While nothing ended up coming to fruition due to COVID, his efforts to allow one of my interests to potentially turn into a real thing was an amazing experience.
Post graduation, I’m really looking forward to traveling once COVID restrictions are removed. Over half of our cohort is international, and I am planning on visiting China and India in order to meet up with some of my classmates. Learning about their cultures through them has only sparked my interest in seeing them firsthand.
Other than that, I’m really excited about some of the companies I’ve been helping on the side continue to grow. Promistyx, a company a close personal friend and his wife started, recently completed delivery on its first Kickstarter campaign. We’re planning on completing at least three more in 2021. His twin brother’s company, WhitePhoenixArts, recently moved to Charlotte and is working at re-establishing itself within the artistic community down there.
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