Sustainability on Tap: Practicum Helps Brewery Plot Course for Reducing Emissions

MBA students in the Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum help Creature Comforts Brewing Co. realize opportunities for reducing carbon emissions across the value chain. 

Michael Hayes, Jacob Yarbrough, and Laura McComb tour the Creature Comforts production facility in Athens, Georgia.

Hands-on, real-world experience: This is the promise of a business school practicum. For over ten years, the Sustainable Business Consulting Practicum at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business has been lauded by students and host companies alike. Adam Zenker, MBA ’18, described the practicum as “truly one of a kind.” The course is co-taught by Professor of the Practice Michael Oxman and Lecturer Bob Lax. Students address real business and sustainability problems companies are facing. Oxman says, “Time and time again, the students come through with thoughtful and well-researched strategies and recommendations.” Many clients come from the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact (Compact), an initiative of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. Compact members are committed to helping Georgia reach net zero emissions by 2050. This ambitious goal requires an “all hands on deck” approach, including collaboration between current and future business leaders. This article about a project for Creature Comforts Brewing Co. is the first in a series of spotlights on practicum projects for Compact Members from the 2024-25 academic year. 

“What I really liked about the practicum is that the MBA students added value by recommending concrete approaches and solutions to reducing our Scope 3 [value chain] emissions,” says Jacob Yarbrough, senior sustainability manager at Creature Comforts Brewing Co. “There are many things in sustainability that we want to work on, but we don’t always have the bandwidth,” As “a sustainability team of one,” Jacob was grateful for the opportunity to work with talented students who helped the brewery to plot the path towards reaching future goals. 

Going into the project, Creature Comforts already had a good understanding of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct emissions and emissions from purchased energy, respectively). Since it has more influence over those emissions, that’s where the company has focused its attention to date. But no company is an island. The raw materials and ingredients for beer come from other organizations that have their own emissions, which are the Scope 3 emissions for the brewery. Yarbrough was eager to learn about carbon emissions across Creature Comforts’ value chain – even though these emissions are the most difficult to mitigate. The business challenge is complex (dozens of different suppliers), making it the perfect problem for a student team to research. 

Team members Michael Hayes, Janice Jean, and Laura McComb say the project was a success thanks in part to the project sponsor’s hands-on approach. Jean says, “Jacob was extremely supportive in getting the right folks involved so we had the necessary data to begin our project.” In weekly meetings, the team shared their data requirements, and Yarbrough would ask the head of supply chain to pull reports. Jean continues, “Jacob collaborated with us. It felt like he was a part of our project team.” 

The team drew upon the skill sets acquired as a result of previous work experiences. Jean, for example, already had a couple years of consulting experience under her belt. Her technical supply chain background at Deloitte and Tesla had prepared her for working with data and managing the project from a process perspective. She also utilized her knowledge in procurement to outline initiatives that Creature Comforts should prioritize. 

One of the most valuable parts of the project for Creature Comforts? “The clarity,” says Yarbrough. “The team synthesized massive amounts of data that I hadn’t had the time to get to. They also had some really good recommendations – for example, changing a supplier or investing in the electrification of fleets. Multiple levels of value came out of the project.” 

Creature Comforts is now acting on the recommendations. Yarbrough says he’s isolating the top suppliers – going to them directly, sharing the students’ data, and asking if the information is accurate. Working with the data-driven, collaborative approach with suppliers, he says, has already led to investment and action.

Michael Hayes, Janice Jean, and Laura McComb visit the Creature Comforts taproom.

Written by Jennifer Holley Lux