Drew Fink, Co-Founder, Lazy Bear Tea
What did you study at Harvard?
I got my MBA at the business school (Class of 2018).
Were you involved with any food or wine activities while a student?
Absolutely! The Food, Agribusiness and Water Club was quite active, so I attended a number of their speaker as well as social events on campus. Beyond that, the majority of my free time in my second year was spent building my bottled tea business, Lazy Bear, along with a fellow classmate.
As an undergraduate I spent much more time upstream in the food system, including spending my summers working on farms such as Morning Glory Farm, on Martha's Vineyard.
Do you think that Harvard has prepared you for a career in food and wine or hospitality in general? If so, how?
My education in the business school has made me far more prepared to navigate the intricacies of a CPG food business, as so many great brands die because of a lack of sophistication and understanding around financing. That certainly can't overcome an uninspiring product, but our generalist business education certainly helps keep this thing on the rails! Our ability to tap into professors and industry efforts while students also helped launch our business faster than we would have been able to outside the warm comforts of campus.
What work do you do now?
I work on Lazy Bear Tea, our line of low sugar, full flavor teas brewed from cascara, which is the fruit of the coffee cherry. Normally cascara is a byproduct of the coffee we drink, but our team upcycles it into delicious teas that are good for you, good for growers and good for the planet.
Websites that are relevant to your work or special interests:
