Andrew McCraith graduated from the full-time MBA program
in 2005. Today he is already leading a venture-funded
start-up based on UC Berkeley breakthrough technology.
During his second year in the program Andrew learned
about Silicon
Clocks. The early stage start-up, developed out
of technology from the Berkeley Sensor & Actuator
Center, had been entered in the 2004 UC Berkeley Business
Plan Competition by a team of scientists led by Emmanuel
Quevy. They won the Technology Prize but knew they needed
to add a top management person if they were going to
form a real company. This was the opportunity that Andrew
had come to Haas to find. He became CEO and with Quevy
became the driving force in making Silicon Clocks a
reality.
In February of this year Andrew closed an $11 million
financing led by Tallwood Venture Capital, acquired
a company with complementary assets, hired an experienced
CEO, and set Silicon Clocks off on an exciting journey
to change the way cellular phones, computers and other
devices acquire their timing signals.
Andrew came to Haas’ MBA program with, and maintained
throughout the program, an intense interest in entrepreneurship.
That interest was inspired and amplified by the courses
he took, the programs he attended and the people he
met here at Haas.
His philosophy was to take as many courses as he could
that would allow him to work on his ventures while he
was in the program. Andrew took the core entrepreneurship
course, the workshop for startups, and other marketing
and strategy courses that allowed him to do project
work associated with companies he was trying to start.
"While courses that have lots of wonderful speakers
were exciting and interesting to listen to, I preferred
courses that had depth of content and the intensity
of projects that allowed me to work through problems
that were real to the companies I was starting."
Having successfully navigated the waters of the venture
capital market for Silicon Clocks (www.siliconclocks.com),
Andrew is now VP of Marketing, focused on sales and
marketing for the company. But he still has found time
to share his experiences. The entrepreneurship and workshop
for startups classes have already benefited from hearing
his story of focus and persistence. The Lester Center
and the Haas School greatly appreciate his commitment
to give back to the school at this busy stage of his
career.
Silicon Clocks wins the Technology Prize
at the
2004 UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition
(from left: Emmanuel Quevy and Sunil
Bhave of Silicon Clocks,
Steve Domenik of Sevin Rosen Funds)
