MACON – Mercer Innovation Center (MIC) Open MIC Night this week will feature Jeremy Knowles, president of Macon Beer Company, on April 13 at 5:30 p.m.
The event is free and open to the public, and will take place at SparkMacon, located at 557 Cherry St., Suite B, in downtown Macon.
As a professional engineer, Knowles has many technical and management skill sets coveted by other production breweries. During his youth, he worked for his father's carpentry company, and later as a state employee in the maintenance department. These experiences developed his hands-on attitude, which he has leaned on throughout the construction, startup and operation of Macon Beer Company.
Knowles earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Georgia Tech, where he gained valuable knowledge of process principles, plant design and operation, and energy management. After spending time as a journeyman engineer, he became interested in brewing science. He founded Macon Beer Company in 2011, and has since developed and released five different brews sold at bars, restaurants and growler shops around Middle Georgia.
Earlier this year, the Mercer Innovation Center began hosting Open MIC Night as part of its programming intended to develop the already rich and thriving culture of entrepreneurism at Mercer, as well as to foster relationships, network and collaborate with entrepreneurs, the local community, other universities and beyond.
The Center plans to continue the speaker series on a weekly basis. To be added to the MIC listserv or to be considered as a speaker for the series, contact Dr. Riley at riley_sm@mercer.edu.
Upcoming speakers will be announced on the calendar of events at mic.mercer.edu.
About SparkMacon
SparkMacon is a membership-based makerspace. Membership includes first-come, first-served access to desk and meeting space, art tools, technology equipment, workshop facilities, as well as access to high-speed wireless internet and electricity. For more information, contact Nadia Osman, director of SparkMacon, at nadia@sparkmacon.com.
About the Mercer Innovation Center
The Mercer Innovation Center is an effort by Mercer University, along with community partners such as the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority, Birch Communications and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, to advance a culture of innovation and develop a thriving community of entrepreneurs, with a focus on utilizing technology to foster economic growth, create 21st century jobs and attract and retain talent. The Center is an institutional effort – led by the Stetson School of Business and Economics – that crosses academic disciplines and geographic boundaries to draw from all of the University's colleges, schools, departments and operating units. Community memberships are available, as the Center's activities and resources are intended to be available to Mercer students and non-students alike. For more information, visit mic.mercer.edu.
