How do you grow a hometown favorite while staying true to what made it special? Sharad Chadha, CEO and owner of Sprecher Brewing Company since 2020, shared his perspective during a recent fireside chat, held in partnership with the UWM Research Foundation and UWM student groups Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization and Minority Women in Entrepreneurship.
The conversation featured student-created interview questions and was led by MBA student Grace Iyiola. Chadha, a Lubar MBA graduate, spoke candidly about leading growth in a fast-moving industry while staying focused on product quality. Sprecher now holds about 21 percent market share in the craft soda segment, with soda making up roughly 90 percent of sales. Chadha has helped Sprecher triple its sales and expand its footprint to all 50 states, marking a 400% increase in distribution over the past five years.
“We are product-led first,” Chadha said. “If you make the best product, the rest follows.”
He highlighted what sets Sprecher’s top-selling root beer apart from the 300 root beer companies in America, including locally sourced ingredients, fire brewing with honey, and small-batch production. “We do it all from brewing to packaging and distribution,” Chadha said.
He also discussed lessons learned from products that did not succeed. “Not everything sells,” he said. “You have to learn fast and move forward.”
Growth, he said, can feel like a fast-moving rollercoaster. “Not everyone wants that pace, and that’s okay,” Chadha told students. His advice to future leaders was simple. “Always manage, don’t assume, and take action quickly.”
The fireside chat offered students and alumni a practical look at leadership, resilience and innovation rooted in Milwaukee.