“My background in the food industry taught me that people care about where their food comes from. But no one was really thinking about this in the context of alcohol,” says Emily Darchuk, founder of Wheyward Spirit.
Darchuk is a recent graduate of the Oregon MBA program at UO. She completed her studies through the Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship and is next in a long line of founders and innovators from Oregon to convert ideas in the classroom into real world solutions.
Wheyward Spirit, the company she built throughout her time in the program, turns natural waste from the dairy industry into a premium alcoholic spirit with a unique flavor.
“It all stemmed from a New Venture class. You learn about identifying a problem and a value proposition and I came into the program knowing this was something I could do and class was a catalyst to go for it.”
Darchuk’s knowledge of natural food and the science behind dairy helped her realize there was an opportunity to eliminate needless waste, but convincing people that the idea made sense was the first step.
“This is a quintessential opportunity to solve a business problem – over the course of the year I was trying to work out how to communicate this in a way that people will care.
“I’m making booze from whey from cheese so I had to think about how to avoid that ‘ick’ factor because it’s actually really cool. I want people to think about their spirits differently and come on that journey, so I started with different branding and business competitions and accelerators to get as much feedback as possible.”
The Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship, housed in the Lundquist College of Business, has a history of fostering student success and entrepreneurial spirit.
Roam Fitness, founded by MBA alumni, is opening gyms at airports around the world so travelers can stay healthy and active despite a busy schedule.
Red Duck Ketchup and Cowbucker are locally grown and operated businesses that were founded out of business plan ideas in classes at the Lundquist College of Business.
Wheyward Spirit is being recognized by industry leaders as another successful startup to come out of the program.
Emily and her company were featured late last year in an article in Forbes, highlighting the process behind the production.
She has also been selected and featured as part of Inc Magazine’s 40th anniversary Founders Project, connecting new business leaders with veteran mentors.
Darchuk is appreciative of the publicity.
“There is definitely vulnerability to getting my idea out there but people call all the time or send a note with words of encouragement and that part is really cool.”
Darchuk is humble when asked about her already impressive success, but her steely-eyed determination is clear.
“There was a lot of fate and momentum and luck. I realized that I am only here for a point in time, and this is the lens that I am going to do school through. I always said in my previous work that my job is translating consumer needs into tangible products, with science. That was my wheelhouse, and my passion lied upstream and downstream from that.”
A platypus with a master’s degree from Oregon State, Darchuk says it is no coincidence that she ended up with a successful startup here in Eugene.
“The program and the school has been incredibly supportive. Oregon is one of those communities with an independent entrepreneurial spirit, where you can do things differently and you get a voice. In that sense, it’s been a great place to learn about entrepreneurship.
“In almost every single class, I’ve gotten the opportunity to think about the project in the context of what we are learning and it’s been a good sounding board.”
Over the summer, a colleague from the MBA program joined in and ended up traveling to Thailand to help her pitch at a business competition.
“If you have a project, and you’re excited about something, people can see that it brings you joy. The cohort has so many amazing skill sets. When I had PR questions, my first call was to one of my classmates who has PR experience.”
Wheyward Spirit’s network of peer support and advocacy extends beyond the College of Business and into the graduate school at large.
“In my first year, a peer of mine who was a 3PM student was a great support. I’ve consulted with people at the SOJC on graphic design tasks. We’re all in the program together but everyone has a unique voice and talent and it’s been a really special way to get an education.”
“I’ve been on this full time for the past few months, basically since finishing school. I’m doing everything required to take it to market, that’s my next goal.
“All the pieces are falling in to place in terms of the opportunities you get, the people you’re able to talk to and the feedback from that. Those steps include building a team, finding investment and identifying the steps to commercialization.
“The greatest piece has been explaining the product to people and they just get it. That’s the exciting part and it’s enough to keep me going.”
Learn more about Wheyward Spirit, their effort to produce a premium and sustainable, and what comes next.