In celebration of our 40th anniversary, Black Enterprise is taking a look both forward and backward at the world of black business. Our list of 40 Next celebrates the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
These BE Nexters–those 21—35 years old making a measurable impact within their respective business, organization, industry, or field–are standouts in the areas of entrepreneurship, corporate America, academia, nonprofit, the arts, and the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). And they prove every day that “business as usual” is not so usual. For them, leveraging expertise in one area to maximize an opportunity in another is standard operating procedure.
Using the legacy of their business predecessors to forge their own way, this new generation of leadership accepts the torch without trepidation. But the commonality between then and now is that success still takes a focused, strategic, and passionate mindset. Here, we introduce you to one of our 40 Next.
Jason Pratt, 30
Yeast and Fermentation Scientist
MillerCoors
Milwaukee, WI
The microbiologist, charged with ensuring optimum yeast quality, troubleshoots and oversees audits and trains more than 50 microbiologist to produce quality beers for MillerCoors. Pratt also manages the global culture collection and provides yeast strains to international licensees that brew Miller Genuine Draft worldwide.
Education
B.S. in Biology from Hope College, Holland MI
M.S. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Favorite Book
Business: Brewing Microbiology — Priest and Campbell
Leisure: The Book of Basketball by Bill Simmons, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
BE Manifesto
Integrating technical innovation and sustainable development to drive progress in an industry rich with tradition and history.